And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 ESV)
I am saddened this morning over the 141 senseless deaths in Pakistan. Taliban extremist stormed a Peshawar School and began shooting innocent victims - 132 of them children.
This week we also saw in Autrailia where another militant extremist who went into a Chocolate factory taking people hostages. Eventually 3 people died.
A few weeks ago we were in Israel when a Palestian man entered a Jewish synagogue killing 8 people. The list could go on and on.
It is very disturbing to witness the extreme hate that is displayed in many people around the world. The world is a ticking time bomb where violence can and will develop anywhere and at any time.
Actually, this is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy that speaks of the last days being filled with "wars and rumors of wars."
These are the last days.
And yet, in the midst of all of this hate and war and ugliness of sin God gives us a standard for which we are to live our own lives. Philippians states that "our love may abound more and more."
Whereas the world is propigating hate and murder - God continues to remind us that we are not like the world. We are different. We are to grow in "knowledge" and "discernment" and to "approve that which is excellent."
The world is getting angrier and angrier. It is becoming more radical and it is filled with extremist of many kinds - but we are to be different.
St. Francis of Assisi wrote the following prayer that might be of great help to us today called "Lord Make Me An Instrument."
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Paul, in Philippians tells us that we are to be "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes only through Jesus Christ." May I encourage you in this for your life. You can become bitter and angry and hateful or you can be filled with who Jesus is - filled with abounding love to all of humanity. For me - I choose the latter.
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