Daily Journal: 2 August

Let Your Peace

Return To You

Here is a beautiful biblical principle that safeguards our spirit and our soul. Not many people seem to know about it or put it into practise. Yet, it’s an important practise.

Jesus cautioned His disciples, when they were visiting towns and entering people’s homes and meeting people, to do this.

Matthew 10:13 (NIV)

As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 

Why would Jesus have told His disciples to do this if it weren’t important?

As the disciples visited towns and entered people’s homes they were told to go in gentleness and peace. They entered people’s personal space and community just as we are called to. The principle Jesus was passing on was to keep His disciples pure and unaffected by other’s rejection, dismissal, anger and hostility.

Matthew 10:12-14 (NLT)

When you enter the home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.

This doesn’t simply apply to someone’s established house. This is talking about people’s hearts and attitudes.

When we take the presence of God with us into the community, we enter people’s personal space, relating and extending ourselves through conversation and exchange. The principle Jesus teaches protects our well-being and wholeness. It means we recognise when we’re accepted or rejected but we don’t carry it. We don’t judge or hold an offense. We leave it to God and carry on with our peace intact – whether it’s given to worthy recipients or whether it’s claimed back.

Jesus gave this principle to His disciples (and now us) to dismiss what is not worthy, and not to sin by becoming angry for slights given.

Matthew 7:1-2, 6 (GWT)

“Stop judging so that you will not be judged. Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you….  “Don’t give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls to pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them and then tear you to pieces.

If you begin to feel fractured, ask yourself why. Have you given away your peace where it was not wanted, or well-received? Have you allowed someone undeserving of your peace to shatter it?

We must learn to receive it back. Instead of blaming and criticising, we can simply claim our peace back and leave the person to God. No need to become angry. No need to attack. No need to gossip or slander, pass it on and cause division. No need to be defensive. No need to sin. Shake the dust from your feet and let your peace return to you.

So simple. So beautiful. So pure.