Peace is maintained, at times, through war.
What do you do when you want peace, but your sworn enemy goes to war against you? Sometimes you have to go to war to keep the peace.
As believers, Scripture tells us there is a time for war and a time for peace. Our enemy, Satan, wishes to drive us off the planet. He wants to keep us from knowing, loving and becoming like Jesus. His goal? For us to stop sharing Jesus, which only does drives his gates back.
The Bible never tells us to actively seek war with our adversary, but we don’t shrink from him either. In fact, we are told to resist him by submitting to Jesus and His authority, standing firm in the truths He gives and then walking in those truths empowered by the Spirit (James 4:7-8; 1 Pet. 5:6-9). We were given scriptural armor to wear and use at minimum to hold our ground and at best to keep going forward.
Neither happens by putting down your scriptural armor or weapon! There are times you must fight, which can be rough (Mk. 9:28-29). Know this, though, victory is assured and peace will be maintained when do.

Life is meant to be lived, not conquered.
God gave Adam the job of naming the animals (see 5-31 entry). Could Adam fail? Only by not trying. God didn’t say, “Give Me a list of names and I’ll change them if I don’t like them.” No, all Adam had to do to be a success was to start coming up with names.
Keep in mind that only God, Adam, and the animals existed at this time. Adam was obedient and then God tells us in Genesis 3:20 why Adam was given this job – to bring out Adam’s need for a helpmate. He didn’t know about a mate until he saw that God had given animals them.
You don’t miss what you don’t know you’re missing. So now Adam had a choice. Play it safe by doing what he already knew how to do, which was caring for the garden; or, he could love his God through obediently naming the animals.
True living is not about getting things done, but doing what Jesus asked you to do with Him. You can play it safe and keep your routine, but miss out on what God wants to show and do for and in you. Adam wouldn’t have known about God’s plan for Eve if he played it safe.
You don’t know what God has for you around the corner until you do what He’s telling you to do right now. Has Jesus been asking you to do something that you’re hesitant to start doing? Know that only something good is around the corner when you take Spirit empowered faith steps to follow Jesus.

There are no menial tasks, only those done with or without God’s involvement.
After God made Adam, He paraded the animals in front of Adam to see what Adam would name them. The word “see” carries a meaning to watch with enjoyment. Think about it. The Creator, the Ultimate Expressionist Artist, was getting a kick out of watching Adam’s own creative juices flow.
The passage never says God took off after bringing the animals to Adam. I believe He was standing right there watching the entire creative process take place. Therefore, each day is filled with tasks that can either be done with or without God’s involvement.
This gives meaning to every task we do throughout our day, even eating and drinking! (Check out 1 Cor. 10:31 in case you doubt.) We often think only the big things count. Nope, every little thing does as well.
Let God get a kick out of your day. Do what He’s asking you to do, from making a meal to drawing up the million dollar contract, with and for Him. I guarantee you’ll put a smile on His face.

Peace is not absence of war, but surrender in the midst of the fight.
We live as if war is not a reality, but for the believer it’s a daily occurrence. Our enemy and the world of messages we hear each day want to delude us into thinking we are someone other than who we are in Christ. This cuts both ways: thinking we are more than as well as less than who we’ve been created in Christ (Eph. 2:10).
This battle is crucial. A wrong view either way affects the choices we make. Only a correct view of self sets us free from the negative side effects of our choices, peace destroyers. And, only listening to and surrendering to our Commander-in-Chief will keep us victorious in the midst of the daily battle, peace keepers.
“Lord, help us choose the path of peace.”

When God says don’t, it’s for your good, not His!
Notice the phrase in the upper left hand corner of the picture. Post No Bills. Then notice, if you will, the guy is doing it anyway! His reasoning, “I know what’s best.”
This picture shows the reality of our world today, Christian or otherwise. We make choices based on what we feel or think is best. Think about it. How many times have we hung posters where we shouldn’t? Who made us God?
God created this world. Only He knows how to live within that world. Take your feelings and thoughts and do what Jesus did – clear everything through the Father. He indeed knows best.