Peaceful Relationships Are Built on Truth - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - December 12, 2020
2020Dec 12
Peaceful Relationships Are Built on Truth By Rick Warren
“But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy.” James 3:17 (GNT)
More than ever, the world needs you to be a peacemaker.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9 NIV).
Being a peacemaker takes intentionality and God’s wisdom. And someone who is wise understands that you can’t compromise the truth. When James says real wisdom is “pure first of all,” he’s talking about always telling the truth (James 3:17 GNT). Proverbs 15:26 says, “The Lord . . . delights in pure words” (NLT).
If you apply God’s wisdom to your relationships, then you’re going to be truthful. You’re not going to lie to people. You’re not going to cheat them, trick them, mislead them, or take advantage of them. You will, above all else, tell the truth. A wise person uses pure and truthful words in their relationships.
Why do you think God mentions purity first in James 3:17? Because all relationships are built on trust, and all trust is built on truth. You can't have trust without truth. In order to build a solid relationship, you need to have trust. In order to have trust, you need to have truth. You have to tell the truth! God’s wisdom is pure, truthful, and full of integrity.
You probably don't know who Dr. Leonarde Keeler is, but you know what he co-invented: the polygraph. After testing more than 25,000 people on the lie detector, Dr. Keeler concluded that every human being is by nature dishonest. Of course, Christians know this already because we know how sin has corrupted our nature.
Like everyone else on the planet, you are naturally dishonest. But God doesn't want you to stay that way. “God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love” (Ephesians 4:15 The Message).
Read that again: God wants you to know the truth and then tell the truth in love. When you practice lovingly speaking the truth, you will be at peace in your relationships and model peace for the world.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Build a Firm Foundation of Prayer in the Next Generation!
“Perhaps the most important role you can play in the life of a child is teaching them to trust God through prayer. It’s the key to living with hope.” —Pastor Rick
That’s why it’s so important to strengthen the hope of kids by introducing them to Jesus’ model for prayer at an early age. And we’re excited to help you do that with Pastor Rick’s children’s book, The Lord’s Prayer: Words of Hope and Happiness.
Filled with thoughtful insights from Pastor Rick as well as stunning illustrations from award-winning artist, Richard Jesse Watson, this book brings the poetic scripture from the King James Version alive for readers young and old. It’s sure to become a meaningful bedtime ritual, a treasured memory, and by God’s grace, a legacy that bears good fruit for generations to come.
This book is a perfect way to share the beauty and richness of The Lord’s Prayer with the children the Lord has placed in your life. And it’s our thanks for your gift below to help Daily Hope take the Good News to more people everywhere. So please request a copy for yourself or a friend today, and thanks for your generosity!
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