Extending Peace to Tough Relationships

I made the biggest mistake this week.

I started writing an article for a publication on the topic of practically living out your peace in your relationships with your kids. This is exactly like praying for patience. You just don’t do it.

You can imagine what happened next.

Everything blew up. I will spare you all the details but imagine raised, heated voices and a tender preteen heart and my sincere apologies for not being the bigger person in this scenario.

I felt so ashamed.

This is an area of life where I have worked so hard and gained so much traction and still in a moment of weakness, I was the worst version of myself. What was my mistake? I allowed a tough situation to dictate my emotional response. I stepped out of my peace and into myself and what I wanted out of the relationship. I wasn’t aligned with God’s heart for that person.

What is our peace worth if it doesn’t extend to those around us?

Maybe this holiday you are surrounded by people that you have spent way too much time with this year and you’re weary.

Maybe you are going to be with some people who tend to push your buttons.

Maybe your relationships just feel strained and difficult due to all of the heightened tensions around us in this time.

Maybe this time just feels heavy and sad all around.

Whatever the situation, God sees and knows your needs, loves you fully, and covers over every mistake. Even the one from yesterday. He is standing watch, ready to meet your every need. And what the spirit of God offers you (his very own peace) is so powerful in you and through you. You don’t have to earn it but you get to be a conduit of it.

I encourage you to cover over those tough relationships with prayer. I challenge you to lift each person up by name each day this week, bless them instead of worrying about them or giving in to negative thoughts, and ask God to help you be a practical conduit for peace. It might not make the relationships less rocky, and you might have some slips (as I did), but it will likely change your heart toward that person or situation.

Here’s my prayer for us this holiday season. "May the God of all comfort ease every sore place, every wound, every bit of loneliness and every care. May we know and feel His embrace and be his embrace to those around us. Amen."