Matthew 5:9, Blessed are the peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

A peacemaker is someone who, rather than making war, makes peace.

A peacemaker is not only someone who brings a peaceful influence to a strained situation, although that is one important part of their role, but rather someone who takes the ingredients of a situation that may or may not have already begun to over-boil, perhaps adding a few special ingredients of their own, and making peace from what could have before only led to a charred and unappetizing mess for all involved.

I need to focus more on those times when I see tensions rising and the waters of life beginning to boil so that I can pray, calm down, pray some more, then roll up my sleeves and do what I can to keep temperatures in check and cooking on track so that we can serve the Lord a full course meal of our praise and ministry from every corner of our lives that will be pleasing in His sight and sit well on His tongue.

We have all been made sons and daughters of God through the Spirit of adoption [Romans 8:15; Galatians 3:26], but those who desire peace; love peace; those who are the peacemakers, THEY are the ones who are blessed and shall be called sons of God.

It is in my opinion that by nature anyone who truly believes in Christ and has accepted His gift of salvation must be or have become a "peacemaker" to one extent or another (regardless of if they are always the ones actually making any peace.) To me it just seems that if one has accepted forgiveness and desires after God some part of them must also desire and love and long after peace. It is fundamental to our lives in the Spirit, even if in the flesh we are often the ones to destroy the peace rather than build it.

However, how much more blessed are those who are not only peacemakers in their most inward and hidden parts, but who love peace with the entirety of their being, seek it, and are willing to struggle and grow by the Spirit through the anger, discontent, wildness and peacelessness possessed in the flesh; chains which we carry but are no longer bound to, that through the cross Christ broke and freed us from once and for all and has promised that through the Spirit those chains are not only broken, but by his power from us can be taken.

How can I be a peacemaker, blessed to be called a son of God?

God please teach me to show greater grace when wrongs are done and to confidently sow the seeds of peace into even the most tense of situations. Teach me to turn to you, my rock and my foundation, so that I would stand solidly in your peace and radiate it; to look to you when angers flare for the wash of your calm Spirit; that I would be one who actively seeks peacemaking for your glory amongst the children and to be your example amongst the lost. You have saved me, but please keep sanctifying me; I love you and want to honor you, may I be ever more like you.

Written March 5, 2012