Becoming A Peacemaker

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." -Matthew 5:9

"Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." -Hebrews 12:14

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." - Romans 12:18

Friends, I may just be reiterating what we talked about yesterday, but I think it's a point worth taking another look at.
Peace is one of those things that God calls us to. We didn't decide on our own, one day, that it would be much better to live at peace with each other, rather than to continually be in adversity with one another. The human heart is very stubborn, in-and-of itself, and does not easily relinquish it's own desires. We naturally, from a young age, feel that we deserve to have our way in just about every circumstance. It's part of our nature, apart from Christ.
When you were saved out of your old nature, there were a couple of things about you that probably didn't quite coincide with what Jesus talks about in Matthew 5. Being a peacemaker does not come naturally for most of us. It's something we will probably be working on until the day we die, or Christ comes back!
Let's dissect the life of a peacemaker, for just a minute... Love is the foundation on which every other principle is built. Well, Christ is our true foundation, but if you look at 1 Corinthians 13 it talks about how love overshadows everything else in our lives. To summarize the chapter: "If I have all of these qualities and gifts, but I don't have love, I have gained nothing!" Paul started off the fruit of the Spirit with love... it is the essential ingredient in every Christian life. Love allows us, then, to see past ourselves and be willing to make peace in times of conflict. Love gives a higher value to those around us, rather than to our own desires or wants.
Without love you cannot have true peace... let's look a little further down the road towards patience and kindness. Being a peacemaker means having patience and showing kindness, even towards those who ridicule you because of what you believe. Each of these fruits are intertwined in one way or another, but they are all important and each one must be grown in order for us to live healthy Christian lives.
I'm afraid I don't have much more to say, today, on this subject... I am not a theologian and I do not have a doctorate of any kind. What I have is Christ, and a relationship with Him that I strive to improve upon each day. Therefore, since Christ is developing this fruit in me right now, I am still learning how to make peace rather than to stir up strife among others. Learning to let go of self... that's an important part. Once you can learn to not be so demanding... it becomes much easier to be a peaceful part of people's lives, rather than the catalyst in an unpleasant situation... you will be able to work towards restoration, rather than fueling the all-consuming fire of destructive words.
My prayer is that you all would become peacemakers in your homes, in your workplaces, at your church... wherever you find that there is strife... strive for godliness instead. Be the initiator of restoration, rather than letting things brew and bubble over... That is my prayer. That is my desire for my own life... to be the peacemaker I was intended to be!

Grace and Peace!

Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com .