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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.
strive for five
strive for peace
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How interesting. Just yesterday I was pondering the phrase "strive for peace" and wondering if it was a contradictory statement or not. Striving and being at peace seem like opposites. Striving and rest seem to be opposites too, but these are the Scriptures I had in mind:
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
~Hebrews 12:14~
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
~Hebrews 4:11~
What we strive FOR matters, and it also matters who we strive alongside. If we don't have the peace that passes understanding, the peace that is a fruit of the Spirit, all our attempts to "strive for peace" will be pointless. We can't force others to get along with us, and if we do everything in OUR power to get along and not rock the boat or cause trouble, we'll eventually compromise or let ourselves be pushed around, and then we certainly won't be at peace. We need the Holy Spirit working in us in order to be peacemakers in a contentious world, and even to be in harmony with our Christian brothers and sisters! This is how the Christian Jewish Bible words the verse:
Keep pursuing shalom with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Shalom and holiness are gifts of the Holy Spirit to us, but we must reach for them, and perhaps the striving we do is not grasping and clawing to fit everyone into a neat box, but the daily effort of choosing to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit and be disciplined.
What about striving to enter rest? I thought we weren't supposed to be striving if we're Christ-followers, like the hymn says: Let strivings cease. And it's true that the Teacher in Ecclesiastes says over and over again that all the things he tried to find fulfillment in were "striving after the wind". We can't find purpose and fulfillment in ourselves, and if we try we will be striving for the wind. It will be pointless and frustrating. We can only find the fulfillment we long for when we follow Jesus, but it's not a cushy and mushy rest. It's a shalom rest - a completeness and wholeness - and it involves work and discipline.
But it matters that we are striving alongside Christ. We are not having to do it on our own.
"Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
~Matthew 11:28-30~
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The phrase "strive to enter rest" is truly thought provoking. I'm glad you added Jesus' words: "Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest."
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard the phrase in my devotional, it brought me up short and I had to ponder it. Glad the FMF prompt gave me an opportunity to think "out loud" about it! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteTo strive for peace sounds really cool,
ReplyDeletesomething one should hanker for,
but the Lord made me a tool,
and my Psalm is one-four-four.
They say peacemakers are the best,
and to be one I should make haste,
but there's bandoliers across my chest,
and two Peacemakers at my waist,
'cause we need watchmen on the walls,
and Jesus said go buy a sword,
and it is Valhalla's halls
that I guess I'm headed toward,
and it says somewhere in the Bible
that fast is good but accurate's final.
striving for peace and defending our castle in balance! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a thought-provoking sonnet!
DeleteIt's funny as I recently was looking at that Hebrews verse in the NASB. What version is shared above? I think we tend to think of striving in a negative light but this morning I realized, we truly do have things we should strive towards in and through Christ. Wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteI used the ESV for the two passages from Hebrews. It was interesting to see how the different translations handled these verses, and offered good insight. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteKym, thanks for this needful reminder to lean into the Holy Spirit to do the work that needs to be done, to love deeply, to live in peace with others.
ReplyDeleteWe can't manage it on our own, that's for sure! thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteI've never thought about striving for rest. FMF10 Food for thought that.
ReplyDeleteI found that a very interesting phrasing and it sure made me think. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteHmmm… reading your words brings peace. Shalom. His burden is light. Thank you for writing and sharing today. Eyes on Jesus and Shine Lisa 🌸
ReplyDeleteStriving for peace and striving for rest - as you say, sound like a contradiction, but I suppose if strive is more of staying focussed, persevering to our goal, which is Jesus, then yes, and there we find peace and rest. Thank you, Kym
ReplyDelete