Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. –2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV
God desires you to seek to live in peace and unity with Him, others, and yourself. He longs for you to have healthy relationships that produce harmony. He enjoys watching His sons and daughters become effective team players. It disturbs Him to watch family feuds that bring about division. He longs for peace, not wanting strife to tear us apart.The following are a few steps you can take to improve your family relationships and bring more unity and peace among believers as well:1. Pursue peace with God and with yourself. If you don’t have peace within, it will be impossible to extend lasting peace to others.2. Lower your “high” expectations of others. Realize that we’re all human and we’re all prone to make mistakes.3. Accept that God has wired everyone differently. What works for you may not be true for someone else.4. Embrace, enjoy, and benefit from the giftedness of others while putting to use the gifts and talents God has entrusted to you for the building up of His church.Remember that Satan is the accuser. Refuse to allow him to use you in his scheming, dividing game among God’s people. He knows that when we unify in peace, love, and harmony, amazing things happen through God’s church for the betterment of many—God’s people, unbelievers, and those who have lost their way.
Pray that God would reveal what ways you might be causing disharmony within your home, workplace, or among the body of Christ.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow to maturity so you can be a peace-filled person who prefers harmony.