Exert the Effort // Hebrews 12:14

Today’s verse strikes me in a unique way. The writer of Hebrews instructs us to “make every effort to live in peace with everyone.” There are times it does take effort, doesn’t it? What does that look like? You start with trying to not just see what the other sees, but why it matters to him or her. Then it requires us to find the common ground between our two sides. Where is it we agree? What can we concede in the face of our disagreement? How can we agree to move forward, especially considering our unified relationship in Christ? The next verse speaks so powerfully to this very fact. We must remember in our disagreements that we both — even in our disagreements — are held by God’s grace; therefore, we cannot allow bitterness to take root. When bitterness sets in, it doesn’t just affect our own souls, it spills over and poisons other relationships. So what effort do you need to exert today to maintain God’s grace in a relationship? What bitterly poisonous root needs to be realized and removed? Living in Christ doesn’t mean we won’t experience conflict, but it does mean we must handle conflict differently. Let’s be different for Jesus today!