God's Glory Church

“Watch for peace with everyone.” — Hebrews 12:14

My sister, my brother, and I flew in from different states for my uncle’s funeral and stopped to visit our ninety-year-old grandmother. She was paralyzed after a stroke, lost her ability to speak and could only use her right hand. As we stood by her bed, she reached out, took each of our hands, placed one on top of the other over her heart, and patted them. With this wordless gesture, my grandmother seemed to say: “Family is important”, which was especially relevant in the context of our somewhat broken and distant sibling relationship.

In God’s family, in the church, believers can also distance themselves from each other. We can allow bitterness to separate us from one another. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews mentions the bitterness that separated Esau from his brother (Heb. 12:16), and calls us, brothers and sisters, to stick together in God’s family: “Watch for peace with all, and for holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (v. 14). The word watch indicates the conscious and determined promotion of peace with our brothers and sisters in God’s family. This applies to everyone.

Family is important. Like the earthly family, so is God’s family of believers. Can we all make the necessary effort to stick together?

What do the words “seek peace with all” mean to you? Is there a person with whom you may need to reconcile?

Dear God, thank you for calling me to You. Help me to make every effort to live in peace with everyone in Your family.

Author: Eliza Morgan