Hebrews Chapter 12: Verse 14 (NIV)
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
God doesn’t expect perfection from us; He knows that we can’t achieve that, but He expects us to make an effort to do what we know to be right. It shows that we are genuinely trying and not just playing about. He will take care of the rest when He sees us doing that.
The Collin’s dictionary online puts it this way; “Make the effort” is an idiomatic expression that means to try hard to do something, even if it requires extra energy or motivation. It implies that the task at hand may not be easy, but it is worth the effort to achieve the desired outcome.
Thus, we can see that it might not be easy to live in peace with everyone, especially those who rub us up the wrong way. But when we have put time and effort into something we know that feeling of satisfaction when we manage to achieve it. Likewise, when we see children make the effort to do things, like tidying their rooms, and not fighting with their siblings, especially without being asked, it gives us a great amount of pleasure. How much more does it please God when He sees us making the effort to live as we should?
Dear Lord,
Thank You for all that You have done for me. Help me to make the effort to live as You want me to. Thank You that when I’m struggling, I have the help of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.