James 3:18
There’s a big difference between peace loving and peace making. Surely, we all love the idea of peace. But peacemakers are those who are willing to do the tough job of getting involved in situations where there is no peace, in order to make peace. Peacemaking sounds like a quiet and gentle way of life. But it’s often the exact opposite. The person who wants to make peace needs to be tough enough to engage with those who are in bitter dispute with one another. Peacemaking is a wonderful way of life but the person who thinks that it’s easy has almost certainly not understood what it’s about.
Jesus said: “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Jesus was the Man of Peace. Through both his life and death he brought peace to humankind, but that certainly didn’t mean that he avoided difficulties and dodged disputes. Far from it! His ministry was continually characterised by spending time with and challenging his detractors - and it was all in the name of peace.
Every day, we will be given opportunities to be peacemakers. In Romans 12:18, the apostle Paul wrote: “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.” There will be times when we fail to bring peace, but we must keep trying. Because when we succeed, we will have sown a seed for God. And that seed will grow, says James, and produce a harvest of good things. When we sow peace, we may never know all the wonderful things that grow as a result.
Our daily peacemaking will often involve more listening than speaking. Often, tensions are lessened when people feel listened to. We may need to challenge unhelpful actions and words, but we can always encourage, too. The impetus for doing this comes not from a heroic desire to make the world a better place, but from the inspiration that Jesus gives us. As Billy Graham said, if you want to be a peacemaker: “you must know the peace giver”.
QUESTION
In what ways might you be able to be a peacemaker today?
PRAYER
Loving God, thank you that you are the source of all true peace. Help me to discover more of your peace for myself, so that I may be able to share it more generously with others. Amen
