PEACEMAKING IS NOT EASY                   1 Corinthians 16:5-18

‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.’ (v13)

If we are to be peacemakers then we need to experience the peace of God in our own hearts. How can we share that which we do not have? One psychologist says: ‘If we could measure the amount of emotional energy that is dissipated within the human personality by lack of peace, we would be surprised to find that physical, mental and emotional loss would represent our greatest deficit within the human economy.’ In more simple language, he is saying that lack of inner peace tears us apart physically, mentally and spiritually.

Multitudes have discovered – and you may be one that when we find peace with God a change takes place in our lives and we become peaceable people. What is more, we become peacemakers, reconcilers. We reconcile people to God and to each other. Being a peacemaker involves more than just keeping the peace. Some strive to keep the peace simply in order to avoid unpleasantness. They avoid a conflict by dealing with superficial problems but don’t get down to the real issues. Paradoxically, a peacemaker is called not to a passive role but an active one. At times a peacemaker has to be a fighter. He or she might have to stir things up in order to settle them down. Those who settle for peace at any price will find that the peace they think they have achieved will eventually fall to pieces. Peacemaking is not a matter of patching things up but of getting to the roots of a problem. All this, of course, requires courage – the courage to risk making mistakes. Peacemaking is not easy, but then nothing worthwhile is.

PRAYER LINE: Lord God, make me a courageous person, especially when I am called to intervene between people who have been offended. In myself I am weak, but in You I am strong. Guide me and use me, dear Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Peace making requires courage to take risk