“Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.” (Proverbs 29:17)
You might have noticed a theme developing about peace this week. God wants for us to have peaceful households. We’ve found several passages describing what robs the peace of our homes and makes them stressful places to live. One thing that should stand out about a Christian home is that it can be a peaceful, orderly place.
But how much can you really do about that? Isn’t it the other people who set the tone in the household? Isn’t it their job to make it a peaceful place to live together as a family? Well, yes and no.
Today’s verse says that one way parents, for instance, make it peaceful is by disciplining their sons. Loving discipline can bring peace and order to a home. But that also tells us that we all have the power to make home a more peaceful place by choosing to be disciplined people – no matter what anyone else does.
You might not have much control over the other people in your house, but you can control you. You can make your home more peaceful (less angry, less stressful, less chaotic) than it would be without you.
Think: Be honest with yourself. Do you think you make your home more or less peaceful than it would be without you? Without taking responsibility for other people’s choices, how could you be a peacemaker at home?
Pray: Ask God to help you to make choices with your words, attitudes, and actions to promote peace in your home.
Do: Notice this week the trigger moments that make your home more or less peaceful and make a mental note of which ones you contributed to.