Tag Archives: living in harmony

April 12, 2023 · 5:41 AM

Creating Harmony

Years ago a guy came waltzing into my store demanding to speak to the manager. When I asked him how I could help him, he replied, “You’ve got to hire me! I’m the best salesman you ever saw.” He talked very highly of himself for a few minutes then asked for a job. I sent him to the online portal to apply, but told him I didn’t have any openings. Honestly, I didn’t want him on my team. He was hired by another manager a few months later. He came by to tell me I had made a mistake in letting someone else hire him. I then gave him some friendly advice. I told him there’s a fine line between confidence and conceited. One attracts people and the other repels them. He had come off as very conceited. He appreciated the frankness and learned to dial it back which resulted in lots of sales for him.

After David had been anointed king, the actual king, Saul, decided to kill him which sent David on the run. One of the places David hid was the Cave of Adullam. 1 Samuel 22 says that his father and brothers joined him there. Verse 2 says, “Everyone who was suffering hardship, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. There were about four hundred men with him” (AMP). David could have been conceited and been upset at the quality of people whom God sent to him. These were the outcasts of society. He could have denied them access, but he didn’t. He took them in and created an army. Thirty seven of these men became famous for their bravery and battlefield heroics. David found a way to lead these men and get along with them creating a formidable group capable of beating entire cities.

Romans 12:16 says, “Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty [conceited, self-important, exclusive], but associate with humble people [those with a realistic self-view]. Do not overestimate yourself.” That’s some good advice. When I find myself not getting along with someone, I have to evaluate myself. Am I the one who is being conceited, self important or exclusive? What can I do to find harmony with this person? I don’t have to be friends with them. But I do need to find a way to be at peace with them, especially if they’re believers. Who knows if God has brought them into my life to help me, shape me or learn from me? If I think too highly of myself, I might reject the very person God put in my life. I’m sure you can think of an outcast that’s shown up in your life too. Seek humility and harmony before kicking them out of your cave.

Photo by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash

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February 8, 2021 · 6:02 AM

Living In Harmony

When I was in school, there was a game that schools were teaching kids called “Lifeboat”. Basically you were the captain of a ship that was at sea and it was going down. There was one lifeboat, but there wasn’t enough room for everyone. They gave you a rundown on everyone on board. Some were young, some were old, some had questionable past, some had noble professions, some had medical conditions, some were addicts, etc. You were then to choose to see how your morals or values guided you. My parents, and a lot of Christians were against this type of education and wanted us to respect all people and value their life. I don’t remember the game lasting very long in schools, but I do remember them reiterating the Golden Rule of treating others the way you want to be treated.

Both the Old and New Testaments teach us to love our enemies and to treat them well. The word enemy here is someone who is hostile toward you or who opposes you. That can be tough to do. Usually if someone is hostile toward me, my first reaction is to attack them back or go on the defensive. I’ve always tried to keep Proverbs 15:1 in mind when someone is angry at me, and give them a soft answer. Another thing I try to do to de-escalate the situation is to try to understand their side and point of view by asking questions gently. Most people simply want to be heard and understood. They feel like attacking or yelling is the way to do that. Our response has the ability to add gasoline to that raging fire or water.

Finally, if all else fails, value them and their life. Remember that they were made in the image of God as much as you were. Romans 12:16 says, “Live happily together in a spirit of harmony, and be as mindful of another’s worth as you are your own” (TPT). When we argue our points by devaluing someone else and their points. It’s like tossing them overboard in the game of Lifeboat. It’s telling them that they don’t matter and you and your points are worth more than theirs. As believers, we must learn how to live in harmony across denominational, racial, ethnical and personal belief lines. We must value each other as brothers and sisters in Christ even though we may not see eye to eye. We are not each other’s enemy, and our battle is not against flesh and blood. Each of us have the same worth to God and He paid the same price for their sin as He did for yours. When we learn to value others as ourselves, we create an ability to live in harmony.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

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