The Peacemaker
My Dad’s birthday was last week. I have written about him numerous times as he was a wonderful father. He was a man of God that was loved and respected by all who knew him. I am always proud to talk about him because my journey of faith was possible because he first laid out a roadmap for me to follow. I remember when my grandfather passed away, and as the eldest in-law, he was given great responsibility for the family my grandfather would ask him to lead. I remember at the eulogy that my Dad read from the Sermon on the Mount and in particular today’s verse. He had said that my grandfather had given him the role of the peacemaker, and he planned to fully fulfill that. God reminded me of my Dad’s goodness today, and I give thanks to the example he was.
The question becomes how does one bring peace? My wife and me find peace in making each other happy, but we do not always succeed in that endeavor. My teenaged daughter? Next topic, please! As I focused on these verses, I realized how difficult it can be to find peace. We always disagree on something or there is someone who continually rubs us the wrong way. However, the prophet Isaiah gives us a clue as to where we find peace. He prophecies of Jesus saying, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) While there are many times when my focus is on other things, when my focus is on Jesus Christ, there is not only love in my heart but also peace in my spirit.
Focusing on Christ always puts us in a place where peace can be found. Think of the last time you were upset about something. Take a moment to remember and feel the anger and bitterness that consumed you during that time. Then ask yourself where your thoughts during that time were. I can say that mine were never on God. It went something along the lines of this. “I don’t understand why Loretta would let something go like that,” or, “Does my daughter think I am that dumb? Seriously???” Not very focused on God, was it? But if I change my thinking to focus on Jesus, how different would the conversation in my mind go? “God, my wife is a wonderful woman. Give me greater wisdom to better understand her thinking.” Or in my daughter’s case, “Jesus, don’t let me kill her.” Ok, I’m kidding. More like, “Jesus, guide me to teach her how to be honest about what she is doing.” Having a mindset on Christ helps us to find the right words to meditate on. We all know this inherently, but in the heat of a moment, it is challenging to find that place. If we are faithfully praying each and every day on God helping to find in those moments where we often lose sight of Him, we will soon find that very peace needed to find peace with others even under the most trying of circumstances.
A mindset on Jesus Christ always leads to positive Christ-like outcomes. We know that the world is slanted toward creating fear and chaos. However, Paul in his letter to Timothy reminds us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) It is knowing this that allows us to again find peace, and from there, anything is possible. So if peace is a struggle for you today, remember the shining example of Jesus Christ. And if you are at peace today, pray that you are given an opportunity to bring peace to others in a way that brings glory to God. What disciplines will you start or continue to bring peace in your world? How can you better exemplify a peacemaker to others? My prayer is that we can follow Christ’s example and be as my Dad was: The Peacemaker. Amen.