Striving Right!

Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 AMPC

As representatives and ambassadors, you really cannot live outside the dictates and terms of engagement determined by the principal. When you acknowledge God as the leader of your life and the determinant of your decisions, then your life must look like the One you represent. The key words here are important:

1. I must STRIVE to live in peace with all men. Nothing is said about other people's reactions; I only need to watch mine. Nothing guarantees that other men will respond the right way to me, yet God commands me to strive to live in peace. It means I must go out of my way, I must work at it, I must not take things for granted or make assumptions. There is no room for pride, conceit or feelings of superiority. I cannot earn God's favour by strength, but when I am set free in my knowledge of God, I can pursue his will without fear.

2. I must PURSUE consecration and holiness. It is a picture of a race, either away from something or towards something. Joseph ran away from Potiphar's wife, Samson slept off on the laps of Delilah. We know how both ended up- used by God, but with different eternal consequences. There is a price to pay for holiness, but an even greater price for an unholy life.

Striving and pursuing gives a picture of activity. I can't add anything to what Christ has settled; I can only stand in that victory and secure my environment for Christ. I can't fold my arms and expect that everything will just fall into place; you must RUN the race before me, WALK by faith everyday and FIGHT the good fight of faith.

Do you know what is at stake? Eternity is. Seeing God at the end of our stay on earth must be the utmost desire of all of us. Life never truly starts until it is surrendered to the One called Life himself. Have you taken that step of surrender and sought his help to strive right? His time of favour is here.