"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 NIV
In 2005, when he was just 10 years old, Yiech Pur Biel, who is set to compete in the 800m event in the 2018 Olympics, was forced to flee the war in South Sudan, leaving his parents behind. Knowing the devastating effects of conflict first-hand, this young man, who will be competing as part of the Refugee Olympic Team, arrived on the divided Korean Peninsula this week with a special message, “Peace is the fundamental of everything that a state can do. A person needs many things – shelter, food, water, education and medical services – to survive, but what do they all mean without peace? As a refugee who fled from a country in conflict, I know and have experienced for myself how important peace is.”
And you know, Yiech is not the only one who understands the importance of world harmony. Time and again, the Bible tells us that we are to pursue peace and to “make every effort” to live in it with everyone. But doing that starts with making “every effort” to “be holy.” You see, it's only when we tenaciously strive to achieve holiness, or become more like Jesus, that we will love others the way He did. And it’s only when we love others the way He did - unconditionally, understandingly and forgivingly - that we can lay aside our differences to join in our one commonality... our love for Christ.
So may you and I make it our priority to pursue a closer relationship with our Creator today, making every effort to be holy, so that we might be able to live in peace with those around us and inspire others to do the same. Because a shared love for Jesus is the only thing that will ever bring peace to our world.
Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us time and again the benefits of living in peace with every person. Help us to pursue holiness that others might come to know You because of it. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Bleed the same - Mandisa
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