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“Peacemaker” - Week 2
“If it is possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18, RSV).
Sometimes I would ask the question, “Why did she do that?” Well, I have had to learn! Now, I do everything I can to build up each and every one of those employees that I come in contact with. I praise them for everything they do and tell them how much they are appreciated. I do my best to point out the good things about each of them to the one I am talking to. This past weekend one of the ladies said she would love to have a good bologna sandwich to put some of her homegrown tomatoes on. Well, I got a stick of bologna, sandwich bread, (the good, soft, unhealthy white) some barbecue potato chips, and a big jar of Kraft mayonnaise She brought homegrown tomatoes, I took homegrown watermelons from my uncle’s watermelon patch, and we fed the entire staff. This is good eating! We laughed and enjoyed ourselves so much. For a brief while there was no contention. It is amazing what can happen when we endeavor to bring peace to a stressful situation instead of adding to it. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV). Into a world that is ugly with violence and hate, Jesus sends us as peacemakers. We aren’t given the choice of whether or not we would like to be peacemakers, and we certainly aren’t given the choice of what kind of world we would like to live in. As bad as things may be, this is the only world we have; and if we are going to be true to our Lord, we must be peacemakers. So what did Jesus mean by peacemaker? A working definition of a peacemaker is someone who is actively seeking to reconcile people to God and to one another. Peace must be made. Peace never happens by chance. A peacemaker is never passive. They always take the initiative. They are up and doing. So much war, so much strife, so much pain exists in the world. That means there is plenty of work for you and me to do. Will we take up the mantle of peacemaker? Every tiny step, every pure action, receives God’s blessing! |
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It almost seems in these days that there is more of a desire to stir up trouble rather than to make peace. Recently, I have found myself in the middle of a stirring controversy between the workers of a place I have to constantly visit. I have been able to make friends with almost the entire staff due to the length of time that I have been acquainted with them. Their jobs are very stressful and without any doubt they work hard. Some of them have experienced wage reductions and hourly cuts, putting more stress on them. They are overworked and tired so they have started finding fault with each other, speaking harshly to each other and their trust of each other is almost gone. Because I am not on staff and seem to be one that could be totally impartial, I have had the wonderful opportunity of hearing most of their complaints. For a while I would listen and then make a comment about how that just should not be.