“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9)

Are you a Peacekeeper or a Peacemaker? I’ve been thinking about this question recently, especially in light of the tragedies that we’ve experienced as a nation recently.  I did some research and found some key differences between the two.

Peacekeepers work to keep tensions from rising. They pretend that nothing is wrong and avoid conflict at any cost. Peacekeepers believe that pursuing peace means to keep quiet and not to speak the truth or not to share how they really feel. Even though we think that this is helping, it’s actually causing a deeper wedge in our hearts and our minds between us and the other person.

But Jesus calls us to be Peacemakers. A Peacemaker wants to understand and is willing to listen. They try to see things from the other person’s point of view. Peacemakers speak the truth in love. Peacemakers pursue reconciliation at the risk of their own comfort. A Peacemaker calls out tension for the ultimate purpose of resolution.

Who are you today? To be completely honest, I’ve been a peacekeeper most of my life. I really dislike conflict and confrontation and I thought I was doing good to “keep the peace”, even at the expense of true relationship. But I’m understanding now that Peacekeeping is ultimately a selfish response because it operates out of fear and self-preservation instead of working towards the difficult task of having a real and honest relationship.

My challenge for you today is to let God work through you to be a Peacemaker in your personal relationships as well as in the world around you, for this is what Jesus has called us to do. ~ Vijoy