"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."~Galatians 5:22-23
Peace:
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. In international relations, peacetime is not only the absence of war or conflict, but also the presence of cultural and economic understanding and unity.(from Wikipedia.com)
Question To Consider: Does being a peacemaker, working for peace, mean avoiding conflicts and tough people to "keep the peace"? Is avoidance of hard things in life the peaceful way?
When we think of Peace, we often times think of the absence of violence, conflict , and war. But , while Peace is those things, it is also healthy or healed relationships, equality, prosperity in social or economic matters. Harmony in many areas of life. But the basic idea of peace , no matter the exact definition, is harmony and the lack of conflict , whether personal or on the larger scale of warfare in the world.
Christ was a peacemaker. Was he always happy with what was going on? No, he got upset in the temple and turned tables when they were using his father's house as a market place. He would be righteously upset but he was the prime example of a peacemaker. He did not avoid issues as to "keep the peace" he dealt with them head on in the most mature , loving, and peaceful way anyone ever has. We see so many situations throughout God's word where Christ could have easily gotten upset, angry, gave a flip comment or short remark or even yelled at someone. He chose peace and He always answered calmly and patiently. And He never ran from problems. Being a peacemaker is an important thing to God.
"God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God."~ Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
The peacemakers will be called sons of God. Working for peace, is a very respectable and good thing. And it is a Fruit Of The Spirit. It is a natural side effect that will result when we are one with Christ. I'm certain not every trail that arises will be an easy one to work for peace...but I am also certain that when we walk in Christ and Christ in us, when we are one with Him, then there will be a desire to have peace in our lives.
For some of us, peacemaker is an easy calling. We don't like arguing, conflict, or anything that disrupts happiness and harmony. For others , this is not so easy. Maybe we like peace, but it's not an easy thing perhaps due to our environment and people around us, or maybe there is just something within ourselves that refuses peace and is drawn to conflict. Either way, working for peace is something we should do. For some it comes easy. When a situation comes up, they are the ones to mediate. They jump at the chance to find a solution, common ground, figure this thing out and move on. They don't run from it, they face it -but they are committed to working through it in a peaceful loving way. They won't argue, fight or yell, they will debate calmly and work to the finish in love. Others, like myself, we love peace, we hate conflict, but dealing with conflict is not easy. I would rather, walk away or run away if I can, then sometimes deal with something or someone difficult. That isn't good. That does not create peace in myself and it doesn't solve the issue. While I would say that peace comes easy to me, I like it, I would also say I have a ways to grow in learning how to peacefully deal with a tough situation. I had a situation come up recently and I wanted to run. Flee as fast as I could. But with the help of Godly friends and God speaking to me through them I realized what I was doing is the opposite of peace. I had to face the fire. And in doing so, I can learn how to love and work for peace, truly. It wasn't easy and I did not like one minute of it. However, I think I understand what "working for peace" means now. If you live on a zen island with sunny skies and warm breezes all the time with no storms or rain or trials, it may feel peaceful but is this truly peace? A peaceMAKER is someone that confronts these trials head on, like it or not, and tries to solve them in a peaceful way. The opposite of a peacemaker would be one who confronts trials in voilence or yelling and arguing. I sure have a long way to go but after I peacefully confronted the issue (and person) before me, something in me changed a little. I felt like I understood. Working for peace takes effort, takes sacrifice, it's about dealing with hard people and situations in a calm , mature, and loving manner.
All my life, I was labeled the "peacemaker " of the family and even picked on about it. In one way, I would always cherish this remark about me. I felt that, it was what God wanted, a peacemaker and if I was the only one in the family then I take that title in fondness and love. Also, if I was to be labeled something, that would be a very good label to have! On the other hand, was I really a peacemaker? Sure, I tried to keep peace and avoid arguing, that is part of it-but when issues came up, I ran away. I think I am seeing now what a peacemaker is really about.
Be blessed and renewed as you work for peace ~for you are a son & daughter of God!
~In Christ's Love & Peace~
*M*
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