A Job Half Done…

 Turn from evil and do good; * 
seek peace and pursue it.
-Psalm 34:14

I hate yard work. Specifically, I hate trimming bushes.  But it’s not the trimming part that annoys me, but rather the clean-up of all the things that I have trimmed.  I am always tempted to leave the mess and keep my gaze up at the beautifully reshaped tree or bush and not look at the mess on the ground.  I know that a job half done can often cause more problems or create new ones.

This week the Psalmist tells us to turn from evil…And do good. If we simply refrain from evil, we are not completing the job.  The goal of the church is not a neutral goal, it is a goal of doing good in the world.  We are not asked to simply manage our sin problem as Christians but rather we are asked to a part of God’s kingdom.  Similarly, the Psalmist tells us not to simply seek peace but to pursue peace. We all love the idea of peace, but we are also called to do the hard work of peacemaking. 
May you be energized to do good and make peace this week.

Matt+