Mar 7 Why were the Saints Saints?

Mar 7

Why Were the Saints Saints?

Ro 12:18 …  live peaceably with all men.

Yesterday we considered Saint Harry. We mentioned that saints are not created by an organization that takes years to decide if a person is a saint or not. God makes us saints the instant we accept Christ as our savior.

          And while our position as a saint does not come from our good works the fact we are saints comes with it responsibility that we strive to live “saintly” lives.

          Many years ago I took the high school kids from our church to volunteer at a mission work. They collected old but usable literature, unused Sunday School Materials, and excess printed materials to ship to missionaries overseas. The materials were free but needed to be wrapped and tied with twine to meet shipping requirements. The kids did the wrapping and tying.  It was both fun and hard work, and an excellent way to teach our youth group to serve.

         While there I found a page had been pinned to the wall in a hallway. The message was marvelous and I copied it down. I just recently found it again when going through some old notebooks. It is worth sharing.

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Why were the Saints Saints?

Because they were cheerful when it was difficult to be cheerful, patient when it was difficult to be patient; and because they pushed on when they wanted to stand still, and kept silent when they wanted to talk, and were agreeable when they wanted to be disagreeable.

That was all. It was quite simple and always will be.

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          It would be easy to connect lots of scripture with this little statement, but it is not needed. The statement boils down the essence of many verses in simple words that are hard to ignore and impossible to not understand.

          Our verse today encapsulates most of these saintly traits in even less words.

Ro 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,

live peaceably with all men.

          Paul realized when he penned Romans that there are some people that do not want to be peaceable, so he said "if it be possible." Some people are just impossible to deal with.  A southern boy, I served with in the military, had a great way of saying it. He would describe an ill-tempered person as “They are so ornery they would argue with a sign post!”  

          Those people are the exception. Otherwise we are to do the very best we can, make every effort, be diligent and understanding, "as much as lieth in you",  to live peaceably with all men.  

           That is our devotional for today. It is something to meditate on.

 I will quit now before I become like the missionary Mark Twain wrote about. Mark Twain said he listened to a missionary and after 10 minutes had decided he would put $25 in the offering plate. But the missionary went on. After another ten minutes Mark thought maybe $10 would be more appropriate. But the missionary went on. After another ten minutes Mark decided he would only give $5. But the missionary continued. Mark Twain said that by the time they passed the offering plate he stole $2 out of it.

    

 

Ro 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,

 live peaceably with all men.