Proverbs 12:20

NASB	NLT	VOICE
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.	20 Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil; joy fills hearts that are planning peace!	20 Deceit darkens the hearts of those who plot evil, but advocates of peace have joy.

What Fills Your Heart?

The heart is viewed as the core of our being – hosting our thoughts, emotions, and will. Scripture describes the human heart as vulnerable to self-deception and moral distortion, separating itself from God’s transforming work. To devise evil connects to the people that God saw committing wicked acts before the flood with Noah. Deceit was a tool for manipulation and control.

To be a counselor of peace, people need to seek reconciliation and harmony. The joy that comes from being a peacemaker is not just an emotional response, but it’s something that brings about contentment and fulfillment from following God’s command. Culturally, peace was a highly valued trait in ancient Israel, which focuses on wholeness and well-being.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: With deceit focusing on manipulation and control and peace focusing on wholeness and well-being, what duality is found in your life between the two? Do you see more deceit or peace, and how do you respond each?

Responding to Conflict

This proverb shows us the difference between deceit and peace. The original Hebrew word for deceit is mirmah (meer-maw). It describes willing distorting the truth to harm a relationship, fracture trust, or provoke a divine consequence. Some people will go out of their way to create a narrative that is only of benefit to them regardless of the actual truth of the situation. We saw it in the news. We see it on social media. We see it happening personally. People will often do this to avoid accountability, the difficult conversations that follow, and to avoid the potential consequences of the situation. The more we commit these deceitful acts, the more our hearts will move away from truth telling. It will guide us to places to avoid the truth or telling half-truths. Having difficult conversations when telling the truth is hard. It leads to hard emotional responses, moments of silence to process what was said, and even the separation of a friendship, relationship, and more. No one wants to go through that. No one wants to experience that. Instead of fighting through it, we tend to avoid it or to say things in a way that attempts to be truthful, without sharing the truth altogether.

God teaches his believers to be counselors of peace. To be ones that will share the truth, even in those tough moments, to attempt to reconcile the harm that was done (if possible) and to walk forward in a path of love and compassion. It’s not just an intentional path we take in those moments of strife, but one that represents our personality and character. God’s peace is to bring us contentment and fulfillment. Our goal in these moments should be this: can I walk away from these tough moments saying that I honored God and loved my neighbor. When it comes to arguments and conflict, you may not agree with what the other person did. You may not even like what the other person did altogether. At the end of the day though, you do have to respect the person. You do have to treat that person as a human, as part of God’s creation. You don’t get to think of yourself as superior to them because you believe you’re right and they’re wrong. You need to treat each other with the same love and compassion that God shares with you. We can participate in God’s kingdom work through living out His love, justice, and peace.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do you manage your moments of conflict? Are they filled with deceit and distractions? Are they filled with love and peace?

PRAY Action

Praise God for His peace. His peace that overcomes any strife that we may feel, and can help us find clarity, hope, and guidance when the path forward feels foggy.

Read Matthew 5:9

Ask God for ways to become a peacemaker. Seek His way to find how you can reflect His peace in all your conflicts and with all people that you come across.

You are a peacemaker. It can be tiring. It can be draining. God is with you in all steps of your conflict and conversations, and will guide you and strengthen you through it all.

Next slice of manna: Discernment in Conflict || Romans 8:6 || Manna for the Mind #343