Buying them off

Reading: Genesis 32-33 and Acts 17

Scripture: Genesis 32:20, and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

Thoughts: Whether it is with God, family, friends, or coworkers, we are going to offend, wrong, or otherwise have conflicts with others. In my life I have seen that so many people when trying to smooth out a conflict or disagreement, we have this tendency to use gifts, Jacob several thousand years ago was doing that very same thing trying to fix the bad blood between him and his brother. How often do we trying to get God to sweep things under the table by offering some sort of gift, those hail Mary prayers that sound something like, “I will go to church every week for the rest of my life if you only get me out of this.” Are we doing as Paul says in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” or are we going to just try to smooth it over with gifts? I feel we are fooling nobody especially God. Let us seek God and seek to live sharing His love and grace to those around us instead of trying to buy off someone. 

Prayer: Lord God you are the one who owns all things, you know all things. I thank you that you allow me to steward a small portion of what you have. I thank you that you sent your Son to bridge the gap that sin created between us. I thank you that you are molding me and refining me into the man you have called. I ask that you help me to live peaceably with others, to not seek to smooth things over with gifts, but to grow in relationship through your peace and love. Help me to be a beacon of light in this dark world.