Blessed are the Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

Father,

There are those who  seem to cause strife wherever they go and there as some who are passive and watch strife being created but do nothing about it. Then there are the peacemakers - those who attempt to do something about it. I have been each of the three categories, I think, at different points in my life, but more often I vacillate between the latter two categories. From experience I have learned that playing the role of peacemaker is often a frustrating and thankless job. Cooling egos is challenging and when one or more of the parties is fundamentally a strife-maker, it is almost impossible to resolve the conflict successfully. It is even more complex and difficult when the conflict is in a marriage. There is also a great risk of being criticized by everyone in the effort - a comment I often make is that in a war, people in the middle get shot.

Never-the-less, Lord, you tell us that we are blessed when we attempt to make peace. More than that you tell us that in that act we become like you - your children. I have come to understand that more fully in past years when I have been able to more fully grasp how you made peace between you and us by sending your Son to earth to be a sin sacrifice on our behalf (Colossians 1:19-20). All of the pitfalls of peace making that I mentioned above were suffered by Jesus - and you as the instigator of the peace effort. He had to cool egos (not very successfully), he had to deal with people who were fundamentally strife-makers (not very successfully) and he did suffer great criticism and persecution in the effort.

And so it seemed at the time that his effort at peacemaking was a complete failure. But we have a better picture looking at it some 2,000 years later. We see that millions have accepted the peace offering and have made their peace with you through his efforts. So, as with so many acts of righteousness, often the end result is not apparent at the time, but may take years or even generations for the fruits of righteousness to ripen.

So with that, I pray that these children be peacemakers, not strife-makers and not passive observers. I pray that you give them strength to endure the inevitable consequences of such efforts and the wisdom to understand that their efforts will never be fruitless, even though they may never see the fruit. Show them in special ways that you are pleased with their attempts and that they truly are being like you as they reach out to calm to storms of human conflict. And may that effort help them to build peace in their own relationships.

Pour your peace into their hearts through your Spirit within them (Romans 15:13).

Amen