“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be on this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.” (Luke 10:5 – 6)
Recently we had our first ever “Finding a Person of Peace” Outreach in our town, Tome. Around 20 people from different parts of Japan joined us. Most of the participants had never done this kind of direct outreach before, so we were a bit hesitant not knowing how people would respond to us. We targeted two areas with no churches or Christians living there. We went from house to house and asked people if we could pray for God’s peace and blessing on them. Of course, most people declined but we were surprised that some did accept our prayers, and a few even invited us to visit them again.
None of us really like rejection, do we? But Jesus has told us that we will be rejected in this world. He is sending us out like sheep among wolves. And He promises us that His peace will return to us when we are rejected. As we gathered to debrief at the end of the two-day outreach, we were amazed at the joy and peace in our hearts, knowing that a few more people in Tome who had never heard about Jesus before, have now heard about Him. One old farmer said, “This is the first time in my life a Christian has prayed for me”.
So, friends, let’s continue to be sons and daughters of peace, and let’s continue to search for persons of peace around us, despite possible rejections. It would still be worth the effort if only one person accepted our prayers!
Stephan Smithdorff
