Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9
When we first was saved we were adopted by God and became His child. John 1:12 says, “yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” With this right, we have a responsibility. That responsibility is not to be just a hearer of the Word but also doer of the Word. (James 1:22) When we call ourselves children of God to the world. The world looks on to see if it is true. One of the greatest and sometimes hardest characteristic we can bear is being a peacemaker.
What is a peacemaker?
When I started digging into this passage. I found a lot of commentaries and pastors wanting us to understand what peace is first before they went on to what is a peacemaker. Getting into my Strong’s Concordance it says peaceable – peacemaker. Then I looked in my Vine’s and it states to make peace.
One of the things that creates so much drama in one’s life is one who I call “a pot stirrer”. This is an individual who takes the peace out of a peaceful situation then steps back and watches the chaos they created. When things start to die down, they step in and give the pot another stir. This is not peaceful living!!! Have you ever encountered someone like this in your life? There are other things that try to steal our peace, circumstances in our life or by bad news that affect you. How can you be a peacemaker? No matter how the situation look, one thing remains true. Being a peacemaker gives a reflection of your heart. Our peace comes from the Lord. A title given about Jesus is Lord of peace, a name give of God is God of peace. His characteristics are what should be reflecting from our hearts and this includes peace. Believers have been emptied of themselves and filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit thus living within us, gives us His peace. In this peace we can stand strong on our faith.
To demonstrate being a peacemaker, we need to know who He is personally that is reigning in our hearts and live a life that shows the world God. Which means to live peaceably and sometimes we need to act to make things peaceable. In which sometimes, we will be persecuted.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 NIV
While being persecuted, we may not be remembering that we are blessed because of it. One of the hardest things to accept is being persecuted. Also another thing to accept, hear and see is whats going on in our world right now. Christians and others being beheaded for not converting to another religion, verbal attacks towards believers who stand strong on their beliefs because of their faith. Attacks on our character because of our submission to God’s will for our life. All by groups or by individuals that are blind to the truths of God. For all who believe on Him are being persecuted because satan knows he can not have us once we are God’s children. Satan seeks to destroy us, but God’s promise is right here “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. We can stand strong and courageous through persecution, when we are His.
In His Love, Crisi