“I was over at Harold’s Handy Hardware yesterday afternoon,” Stan commented one morning.
“Any particular reason?” I asked.
“Either someone borrowed it or I misplaced it, but my favorite hammer disappeared and I needed to get a new one.”
“Get one?” I asked.
“I did,” he replied, “but there sure is a big selection to choose from. It took me a while to find the one I wanted.”
“While I was there trying to decide, I was reminded of two different things about people being hammers.”
“People being hammers,” I repeated. “In what way?”
“First,” Stan replied, “when I was growing up on the farm there was a neighbor who was called ‘Hammer’.”
“Why was that?”
“His name was Elmer, but at some point someone mistook his name and called him ‘Hammer’.” That nickname stuck. He was a very gentle and peacefull person, unlike the other thought about hammers that came into my mind.”
“What other thought?”
“The expression about how some people view themselves as being and acting like hammers.”
“Like hammers?” I responded. “What’s that mean?”
“When you view yourself as a hammer, everything looks like a nail!”
“Pounding away at all those nails that come down the road,” I replied. “I’ve known people like that.”
“Me, too,” Stan said. “Lots of them. And it’s the exact opposite of what the Bible says.”
“The Bible deals with hammers?”
“Sure does,” Stan said. “It doesn’t use that exact word, but I think that’s what Jesus was talking about when He mentioned being at peace with one another. As well, the apostle Paul has quite a bit to say to me about peace in dealing with other people.”
“Kind of like giving them peace, rather than a piece of your mind,” I replied. “Is that it?”
“That’s it,” Stan said. “It’s way too easy to pound away on other people, rather than manifest the peace of Christ that is in me as the fruit of the Holy Spirit.”
“So,” I replied, “should I pound them with peace?”
“Let’s not pound them with anything,” Stan said.”Let’s just manifest what God has for us to manifest.”
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Bible verses to consider:
Be at peace with one another. Mark 9:50.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you, not as the world gives, do I give to you. John 14:27.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Romans 12:18.
Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11.
But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . peace. Galatians 5:22.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the peace with you that you provided through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thank you for those who brought that truth to me so I could accept by faith your free and gracious gift of that peace for all of eternity when my time here is finished. I confess that too often I do not manifest the peace to others that you intend. Please, Father, help me to follow every step of your lead into a life that manifests to all the peace you intend. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Do you have the peace of knowing you will spend eternity in God’s presence when it’s time? If you do not have the assurance of salvation, why? Do you not know it is a free and gracious gift that only needs to be accepted by faith? If you have the assurance of salvation, how are you doing with living a life of peace. Do you manifest peace the way you would like? The way God would like? If you sense change is called for, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 