Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined…For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9: 2, 6 (NKJV)“Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.”
Psalm 34: 14 (TLB)“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5: 19 (NIV)“Therefore, let’s keep on pursuing those things that bring peace and that lead to building up one another.”
Romans 14: 19 (ISV)
“It’s not about you.”
That is the first sentence in Pastor Rick Warren’s classic best-selling book— “The Purpose Driven Life.”
“It’s not about you.” Hard to swallow, I’ll bet.
Because too often it is all about us, about self, and as a result peace remains dormant and distant, and the Prince of Peace is set aside.
For peace to prevail in our families, among friends, within our educational institutions, in politics, the world of sports, and our communities, states, nation and world— “It’s not about you” has to be front and center.
For Jesus, the Prince of Peace, it was never about Him. It was all about others.
And when adopted and implemented by you and me, in every moment, of every setting where we are with people—peace begins to grow, and flourishes.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5: 19 (NIV)
Take a quick survey around your immediate world. How are you doing?
Now, if you can stomach it, scan beyond your immediate environment, to other settings throughout our communities, states, nation, and world.
How are we doing?
In 1992-93, Lynda and I were humbled and privileged to serve as Governor and First Lady for the Florida District of Kiwanis, with 350 Kiwanis Service Clubs and over 16,000 Kiwanians in the state of Florida, all embracing and implementing the Kiwanis Mission of “Serving the Children of the World.”
What Lynda and I discovered in our travels and meetings, was the uniform focus of Kiwanians and their service clubs on their mission, their purpose of serving children of all ages everywhere they found them.
A uniform sense of peace existed among them, knowing it was not about them, but about all they were called to do together. All that would honor God as they moved ahead selflessly unified.
It was not about individual plans, recognition, or goals—but together it was about lifting lives before them to a better place, day-after-day-after-day.
And at every one of hundreds of meetings around the state that year from meetings with forty in attendance to thousands gathered to serve, we concluded each meeting with the song “Let There be Peace On Earth.”
Let some of these words, which Jill Jackson and Sy Miller wrote, sink into the life God truly created you and me to live—
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
Let There be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father, family all are we,
Let me walk with my family, in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me. Let this be the moment now.
With ev’ry step I take, let this be my solemn vow,
To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
Jesus went around finding people where they were and took them where they ought to be.
Jesus would have been a great Kiwanian.
It was never about Him, but always about others.
The Prince of Peace, always about touching, lifting, and serving the “children of all ages” everywhere around the world.
It was never about Him. Peace, dear friends.
In His Name–Scott
You will be blessed as you listen to and enjoy Gentri and the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra perform “Let There Be Peace On Earth.”
