Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is probably the first verse I ever memorized, as my parents bought my sister and I a small coat-and-purse rack to hang in our room that had this verse printed on it in decorative letters, along with a picture of two little girls playing together. I think it was my parents' reminder to us to not kill each other in a preschool dispute.
Our world today desperately needs peacemakers. Everywhere we look, people are just looking for an excuse to be angry, it seems. How about being one of the people who diffuses a situation instead of expanding it? (Or, worse, starting it.)
Being a peacemaker doesn't mean just breaking up a fight, either. It doesn't mean temporarily getting people to settle down. It means helping to resolve the issues that caused the problem in the first place. This starts by ending any immediate fight or yelling match that's going on, but it continues by helping the two parties to come to terms and smooth the situation over.
We can first look at where we're not being peaceful people. But this verse extends far beyond that. It doesn't just say that people who have peace and who are peaceful are blessed. It says those who actively MAKE peace...those who foster an environment of peace around them. Let's be that kind of people.
Challenge for Today: Look around you for a situation where there is a lack of peace between two people. If it's that you need to go make peace with someone in your family or workplace or circle of friends, that's the first priority. But many of us already heed the words to "be reconciled to your brother". Today, turn your attention outward and look for situations around you where you can help people come to a peaceful solution or diffuse the problems in a relationship that's going sour. Maybe it's in the conference room at work where things are getting heated and you can be a voice of reason. Or maybe you have the privilege of counseling a friend who is hurting and having troubles with their own family. Urge them towards peace.
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Well...my "peacemaking" pretty much consisted of keeping two toddlers from beating each other with wooden trains today. That was totally the "stop the fight" part of it...with no thought to the future of making a permanent peace. Of course, it's going to be a long-haul job to foster any lasting peace in that situation.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else make some peace today?
Thanks for your blog and your comments. I don't always respond but I always enjoy.
ReplyDeleteLast year has been a study of peacemaking in my personal world. I am a slow learner so it took many months for the following concept to sink in. Peace between people just isn't always possible, but forgiveness is a must in order to be a faithful follower of Christ. Because God knows you can't control other people, he will not hold you responsible for the ultimate outcome of a conflict (Rom. 12:18). What he will look at is whether or not you have obeyed his commands and wisely used the resources he has given you. If you have done your best to resolve a conflict in a loving and biblical manner, no matter how the situation turns out, you will have earned that marvelous commendation: "Well done, good and faithful servant!'" (Matt. 25:21 a) from The Peacemaker, Ken Sande. A few months ago a lot of hurts began to heal and peace was something that happened in me, not just something I knew in my head.