Being a Peacemaker: Our Duty for Peace
Are you a peacemaker?
Many times, we associate “keeping the peace” with being a peacemaker.
We make sure that things stay cool, calm, and collected. We make sure we don’t rock the boat or rattle feathers.
Keeping peace is important. Romans 12:18 tells us “If it is possible, as far as depends on you, live at peace with everyone”. So, when there is opportunity on our behalf to start chaos or keep peace, we should choose the latter.
But let’s also consider Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God”.
Being peacemakers is what makes us different and what will make us be recognized as God’s children.
To keep the peace implies that there is already peace in a place or situation, and you are only ensuring it continues.
But making peace is harder.
Because the idea when you are making something, is that it does not already exist, so it has to be created.
Making peace means you are looking to turn a ship around a full 180 degrees from disorder to peace.
Whether it’s a chaotic situation, messy, complicated, and emotional.
Or whether it’s a person with mental unrest, anxiety, and uncertainty, we are called to make peace in those circumstances.
How do we do this?
Making peace means you insert Jesus.
We bring people into the knowledge of His peaceful nature and character that we can put our confidence in.
As a peacemaker, you bring peace by bearing the fruits of the Spirit. Doing this makes people see the love, patience, long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control needed to change their hearts.
This may seem like a tall order, and even may feel unnecessary. We may think, “why do I have to be the one to make peace?”
The answer to that is that we are God’s children, and we are called to be Holy. Holy means set apart, set apart means different.
If we just continue to not be bothered like everyone else, then we are not really acting like the Called Children we are.
Go Forth…
By the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us, we can bring peace. The Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom of timing, word choice, and actions in order to bring peace to those around us. God would not call us peacemakers if He didn’t give us the ability to make peace.
People need to hear and know about the peace that comes with knowing and being closely connected to Jesus.
Even chaos and disorder can be seen as just opportunities for the power of the Jesus’ peace to shine.
The same power Jesus used to calm storms in the bible is the same power that can calm storms of chaos and anxiety.
Making peace is not something many people are concerned with doing, but we aren’t “many people”.
We are God’s chosen children, called to bring others into the knowledge of His peace-commanding power. When we do, we make opportunities for the Holy Spirit to calm minds, change hearts, and turn around circumstances.
