Sowing Peace Beans...It's Better Than Jack's Beanstalk

James 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Several years after my divorce was finalized, I found myself embroiled in a three year court battle with my ex-husband over the terms of our divorce. There were days I felt hopeless and distraught. I could not understand how something "final" in my life could continue to cause me and my children so much anguish.

One of the most painful parts of this entire process was the recognition that the court system itself cares very little about what is best for the children involved but instead tries to mold every case into a set of pre-determined, cookie-cutter standards. This is not to say that there is not many dedicated Christians practicing and presiding over family law. My lawyer was one of those and I have thanked God for her many times. Her love for Jesus and His children, though, could only be expressed within the bounds of legal precedent. Surely there could have been a better way.

Today's passage is 1 Corinthians 6. The first eight verses address the topic of Christians being involved in lawsuits. The final twelve verses tackle the issue of sexual immorality. When I first read the Bible cover to cover, I was amazed at the variety of subjects dealt with in Scripture. It was during this court battle that I first read these words, "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment...Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead one brother goes to law against another-and this in front of unbelievers!" 1 Corinthians 6:1, 5-6

My heart was broken. My ex-husband is a music minister's son. I was the daughter of a late-blooming preacher. If anyone should have known and applied the truth of God's Word it was us. Sadly, I didn't even know it well enough to apply it. By this time we were months into this fight, but I committed myself to praying for resolution outside of the court system. God heard my cries for help, saw my repentant heart and worked for me to garner an out-of-court settlement that could only be His hand at work.

What a miracle! God in His mercy loved me. His love was not dependent on how many verses I had read or how well I'd applied them to my life. He just loved me because that's who He is. He did for me what a thousand lawyers could never do - he changed my heart.

Jesus, thank you for the wisdom of your Word. There may come a day when someone else wants to take me to court. This time I will enter that battle knowing who my real enemy is and understanding that You desire me to be a peacemaker. To raise a harvest of righteousness in my four precious daughters requires me to sow in peace. Today I will sow peace in my heart, in my home and in my relationships.