Blessed are the peacemakers...

"Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called sons of God."

~Jesus Christ

Matthew 5:9

There is a great difference between keeping the peace and creating the peace. 

In order to follow Christ's command, we are called to make peace...not just keep peace. 

Peace keeping will often mean turning our eyes from hurts and injustices, overlooking disobedience in our children and calling it 'picking our battles', or sweeping things under the rug hoping that our efforts to 'keep the peace' will not be something we will regret later. 

However, Christ is calling us to something greater. He is not calling us to whine and complain about hurt an injustice, but He is calling us to define it, acknowledge it and do what we can to change the currents so as to break the cycle of future hurt and injustice. 

He is calling us to love our children enough to correct them--even in the face of struggle, embarrassment and show down of the wills (parents--you know exactly what I mean by this term!). He is calling us to teach our children to face head on the issue of peace's direct rivals--confusion, strife and discord. He is calling us to love our children enough to identify the flaws in our own attitudes and change them so as to stop passing them on to our children. He is calling us to love our children enough to not turn our faces from their disrespect to us and others as well as our disrespect to them. May we dare to live by example as we seek to create peace within our marriages and our homes. 

He is calling us to stand in the public arena fitted with meekness and do what we can to create peace in a world run by disorder and selfish ambition. He is calling us to call sin what it is, to stare our Enemy in the face and to have the heart to create peace rather than just 'keep peace' and hope the issues resolve on their own. 

Truthfully, being a peacemaker is an impossible calling for any human simply because we are wired for self. It is only through an intimate relationship with Christ as His Beloved Child will we truly have the boldness, strength of character and endurance to fulfill this command. 

Which is exactly why we will be called Sons of God. 

We can't be peacemakers unless we are. 

We aren't sons of God unless we are peacemakers. 

It is a huge mountain to climb and I am certain that as we set our faces to boldly follow this command, the Enemy will do all that he can to oppose and discourage us. 

This does not mean that we will be friends with everyone. This does mean that we will take a stand against resentment, bitterness and unintentional living so as to create an environment where peace will flourish and be a byproduct. 

Let's stand together. Let's journey together. Let's pray together. Let's create peace together. 

I pray that in your job, your home, in your friendships and your marriage, that you will seek to create peace today. 

An authentic peace that is only from God. 

An authentic peace that we ourselves could never create on our own. 

An authentic peace that our world is feverishly trying to find and dying without. 

An authentic peace that is characteristic only of God and His children. 

Blessings to you today dear friend. 

<><tce