Blessed are the peacemakers !!

That is the Beatitude  that I am studying in "Set Apart" right now.  And yesterday as I was studying this area, there was a line in the book that really jumped out at me, and I knew, just absolutely knew this was my God visit.

In this chapter was a section titled "Peacebusters" and the author based her writings on James 4:1-3:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don't get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

And this line Jennifer Kennedy Dean wrote stood out for me;  "You want something but don't get it.  You have inner conflict because you want something--something external--and you don't get it.  YOU ARE FOCUSING ON OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES INSTEAD OF KEEPING YOUR FOCUS ON THE KINGDOM."

Oh my goodness, I never, ever, ever looked at it that way.  All those little annoyances, the day in day out mundane disturbances that get me so crazy (frustrated, complaining, agitated, impatient.....) are so external and so not  where my focus should be.  How do any of them compare to the Kingdom of God?  How do any of them compare to working out the fruit of the Spirit in my life.  Of building the Kingdom of God, which Jesus says is withing us?  Now, many of you may say, well sure, that is quite obvious.  But for me.....well I guess I am more than a little dense in some areas.  But for whatever reason, this seems to hit me a whole new way.   Why does this seem so new?  It isn't like I have never thought of this in some way before, it's just the way it hit me was so much more real than I had ever thought of.    I think it has something to do with, focusing on the kingdom, and something God told me a few years ago, which I will mention in a few minutes.

When I go into work and see a mess left by the previous shift, junk here, there and everywhere, mail not properly tagged or staged, my focus goes immediately to self.  Self-righteousness, pride, and  the "now I have to clean up, now I have to do it" mentality hits in full force.

But what would happen if instead my focus was on the Kingdom of God? What if it went to serving as Jesus served, selflessly, humbly.   What if I followed His words  of going the extra mile, giving my coat as well as my shirt?  Peace would reign in my heart.  I'd be a more Christ-like example to those around me.  I would not be contributing to an already toxic atmosphere by complaining and pointing fingers.  The Kingdom of God would be reigning in me and thus bringing it to my work place, and only God Himself knows the eternal harvest this would bring.

God once told me that I can either be building His kingdom or Satan's.  I really want to be building His.  Now, will I be getting this all perfect instantly, you know, that "well that's that, I will now be doing this Kingdom focus thing all the time starting tomorrow", that we all  like to think.  No, probably not, so please be patient with me all.  But I will be cooperating with the Holy Spirit and doing my best to make this a reality in my life.

Lord, remind me.  Remind me.  Remind me !!!!