Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matt 5:9) One of the many roles as a teacher is to be a peacemaker. Some days just seem to be filled with little people’s problems and me trying to fix them. So, if I’m making peace all day long, that means I’m going to be really blessed right?

Well… let’s explore what being a peacemaker actually means. According to the dictionary, it is: freedom from war, hostilities, strife, or dissension. Or, a state of being tranquil or serene. Some people might say that peace is tolerance, and readiness to give way to others. But this is not what God brings to the world, or even what the world needs. It’s only part of the picture. True peace requires a complete change of nature, and it comes from God alone. It is reconciliation with God, and with each other through Him.

So what is a peacemaker? It is not merely someone who ends hostilities, is tolerant, and is ready to give way. It is someone who promotes the kingdom of God, reconciles adversaries, extinguishes hatred, unites those who are divided, and promotes true understanding and spiritual love. There is a big difference between the two. The first group of people are more passive and what you would call peacekeepers, not peacemakers.

Being tolerant is good with respect to our dealings with people, but it doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t usher the peace of God into the world. It’s keeping the peace. Agreeing to disagree. It seeks to keep everyone happy.

Peacemakers understand what true peace is, that it is spiritual and not just a political seeking. But why should we pursue peace and seek to share it around? There are a number of reasons the Bible gives:

1. To be holy in order to see the Lord. Heb 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
2. To gain righteousness. Jam 3:18 says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
3. Because it pleases God. Rom 14:17-19 says, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
4. It is our calling. 1 Cor 7:15 says God has called us to live in peace.
5. To be called a child of God. Matt 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.”

Why do we want to be called children of God? Apart from the obvious, (that we want to live eternally with Him and become heirs of His kingdom) He simply desires us to be. Eph 1:5 says, “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”

It’s interesting to point out that making peace, is not always going to look peaceful straight away. Jesus Himself stated (in a different context) that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matt 10:34). While Jesus came to bring peace between God and humans, not all humans will readily sign up for ‘Team Jesus’, and so there’s bound to be conflict between humans. There has to be some wrestling, some ‘to-and-fro’ if we are to arrive at true peace. In this way, it is easy to see how being a peacekeeper is simply not enough.

To become peacemakers, let us look to Jesus, the ultimate example of how to live our lives. In 1 Pet 2:23 it says, “When they hurled insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him Who judges justly.”

It is so easy to retaliate. It’s what our human nature instantly wants to do when we have been hurt or attacked in some way. But it is not up to us to judge and punish those who wrong us. It is for us to walk away and pray about it, and God will deal with it in His way. Easier said than done, and how often do we put it into practice? It really is something when Jesus didn’t retaliate to the things that were done to Him. Why is it so hard for us? Why, in the heat of the moment, can’t we do it? Well, we can… by the Holy Spirit!

Galatians 5:16-18 says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh… But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law of sin.” And to be Spirit-led is to be a child of God (Rom 8:14-15).

So be a peacemaker, not just a peacekeeper. Be active. Be the one to reconcile, love, and forgive on purpose, pray for your enemies as well as your friends, and by doing these things, you will usher God’s true peace into the world, promote the kingdom of God, and of course, become sons and daughters of the living God.