Hebrews 12:14

NASB	NLT	VOICE
14 Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.	14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.	14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, since no one will see God without it.

How Peace and Holiness are Combined

In the context of the early Christian church, believers were often in conflict with the different communities. To pursue peace means that we are actively and continuously acting to reach peace as the overall result. This is our reminder that peace is not just the absence of conflict, but it’s a proactive movement to achieve peace with all people. Peace and holiness are the overall goal.

Holiness is about reflecting God’s nature and the goal for believers to be set apart from the rest of the world. The Old Testament focused holiness on the ritual purity and following the Mosaic Laws. In the New Testament, it moves to a personal and spiritual focus. Holiness is about staying morally pure and dedicated to God’s plan for us. Holiness is part of the lived reality with belonging to God and following through conflicts in faith.  

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Our methods of peace should separate us from the world’s way of achieving peace. How do you seek peace in the world? Through truth? Justice? Repair?

The Healthy Plan

Our paths of peace and holiness should include all conversations and interactions that we have. It’s about recognizing that we can set aside our differences to live in harmony with people who are different than us. People may do things in a way that we don’t understand or in a way we may not understand. They live a lifestyle that we may not think is right or for us, and that’s okay.

Again, our goal is to live a path of peace and holiness. When it comes to disagreements, I tend to ask myself: are our disagreements causing harm to themselves or others? If not, then who am I to judge how they live. Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. If they are causing harm in any way, then we can have a conversation with them with our concerns, listen to their side, and help them through any journeys they will go through. If they are not harming others, then let’s work with them to create a more universal and inclusive system for everyone to live in. There’s no need for fighting, arguments, and fighting in this situation. We are trying to achieve the same goal, but through different paths to get there. It’s our role to communicate with love, mercy, and grace. It’s our goal to reach the lost, care for the poor and marginalized, and seek to meet the needs of those that are struggling. When we use our lifestyles, personalities, demographics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more to separate and create layers of division – we stray further away from this goal. In God’s eyes, no one is disposable, and no human should be denied dignity or belonging. Remember, God focuses on the heart. God focuses on our “whys” when the world judges us on the “how.” It’s time we move away from separating ourselves from each other and move to becoming one family under God. May we continue to show up in moments of justice, mercy, and relationships with our vulnerable siblings.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: When you find yourself in a conflict, do you tend to focus on the issues that separate you or a path that brings you together?

PRAY Action

Praise God for His path of peace. It’s not easy, but I am thankful we have a God loving enough to guide us each step of the way.

Read Romans 12:18

Ask God for clarity on how to find peace with our enemies. The conflicts that we have had can chain us to anger and revenge more than we’d like. The sooner we move toward peace, the sooner healing can begin.

You are worthy of peace, and even when you’ve contributed to conflict, you are still welcome to repent, repair, and heal.  The path should always be reconciliation and love.

Next slice of manna: Finding Refuge in God’s Goodness || Nahum 1:7 || Manna for the Mind #345