Blessed Are The Peacemakers

Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

One of the things Kristin, Julie, and I love to do is attend markets and fairs where we can set up a booth to sell our books. It’s lovely to have the opportunity to meet and talk to all kinds of people from different ages and walks of life.

Often we’ll have people stop by who’ve purchased one of our books in the past, and they’ll share how it’s affected them or helped them. These are the comments that encourage us so much.

And then, every once in a while, someone will stop and, after we explain the topics on which we write—kindness, compassion, friendship, and loving others well—they’ll pause. You can see them thinking about something in particular. As we leave room for them to share, we’ve heard stories of hard relationships or past hurts.

This happened again at a recent event as a woman came up to our booth and we talked about friendship. She mentioned having good relationships with several women she meets with as a group. Still, one woman in particular changes the dynamic—adding anxiety and stress to any social gathering. We talked about practical ways to navigate that and how people often aren’t even aware of what they may be bringing to a group.

As I thought about our conversation later, feeling grateful for good friendships, I realized that I also have people in my life who heighten the anxiety of a group or gathering. I wondered about myself: Am I someone who brings peace into a room, or do I increase the anxiety of others?

It’s a question we would all do well to ask ourselves. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9, NIV), and James reminds us that those who plant peace will reap righteousness. Does that mean we’ll never have conflict or struggles? No, but it does mean that God will continue to shape us into people who model Jesus more and more.

In a world that sometimes can be harsh, mean-spirited, and violent, our witness will stand in stark contrast when we walk into a room or situation with the goal of bringing peace.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Determine to bring peace to people and groups you interact with.