And Then Flip It Too

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:4-7 NASB

Here’s an example I bumped into this week…. (side note please let us go to God first and repent of any ill thoughts and emotions about and towards another) … Let’s say there’s a thick wall or awkwardness - even a slight dislike- between people who have to work on a project together. To keep the peace you might avoid one or all of them. Or maybe even nod your head in agreement when there’s discussion to temporarily keep the peace in that moment. But that’s an appeaser. Not a peacemaker.

Jesus teaches us to actively try to see all sides and why each person thinks/feels/believes the way the day about the situation. 

Pray to Holy Spirit for discernment and wisdom, words to say or how to remain silent. He will ask you to look for overlapping views or areas where there could be a compromise. 

And as a peacemaker we will join with Jesus Christ to bring all parties together, disarm us all of the spirit of offence - defence- jealousy - pride - indignation-  “weapons” so to speak, and work through the hard stuff with each of us to reconcile. 

Can you imagine a hostile peacemaker? No. It’s why we must be gentle or else no one is going to listen to us, ask for advice, or reconcile with anyone - actually we must be willing to listen and slow and careful in how we respond. People’s feelings will be involved or it might be a sensitive topic.  And our own feelings get in the way too don’t they …

Also, we will not always agree with people. Sometimes agreeing to disagree, politely, is all we can do to keep the peace. And that’s OK too! Remember He who is peace. 

And then flip it around too because while we are seeking peace and are open to hearing all sides, we are NOT willing to set aside God’s truth to comfort someone else. Muting His convictions and affirming someone else’s if it goes against Jesus is just as wrong.

1 Timothy 2:1-6 NIV I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live PEACEFUL and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

So Pray. Pray before responding. Pray before suggesting. Rely on Holy Spirits wisdom, timing and solution. Seek out what the Bible says about a certain situation before diving in. Ask Holy Spirit to help guide you. And always stick to God’s truth and what His  Bible teaches. 

If you are going to be a peacemaker, you must have a pure heart—a heart that has been purified by the blood of Christ and that is regularly being washed by the Word of God.

The peacemaker, therefore, is not someone who avoids conflict at all costs; we are the ones who seek to be peaceable and to pronounce the gospel of peace. We are willing to listen first and seek to understand. Thus, we are open to reason, but we are not willing to swerve from God, His truth, and His gospel.