Making Peace God’s Way

Making Peace God’s Way

{You can Watch today’s message at: https://youtu.be/CW4cwFu-lsc }

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A three-year-old boy named Matthew had his friend Luke over for playtime. Matthew, however, was having a tough time. He was arguing about the toys Luke was playing with and became very grumpy.

When his mother put him down for a nap she said, “Matthew, Luke is one of your best friends. You should really be nicer to him.” And Matthew replied, “Well, sometimes I’m just mean, and sometime I’m not, just like Dad.”

Out of the mouth of babes: “Like father like son?”

Ever notice that whenever one of our children does something we’re proud of we say, “They’re just like me.” And whenever they do something embarrassing, we say they’re just like our spouses? But either way they’re just like us.

It’s this story that leads us into today’s message on our need to make peace, but not in accordance with what the world says that we are to do it, but rather we are to do it God’s way, because then we truly will be like our Father in heaven.

But let me start by looking at this new plague of violence that has gripped our nation. I saw a picture of a man standing on the charred remains of a burned out car destroyed in the surge of violence holding up a sign saying, “No Justice, No Peace.”

And while I am in agreement that all injustice should be dealt with, it should be done in a way that is productive and doesn’t promote more violence and injustice, which is what Jesus taught.

After Peter cut of the ear of one of the High Priest’s servants who came to arrest Jesus, Jesus said, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52)

So instead of more violence, which in turn inspires more in return, we need to seek justice in a way that promotes peace, which is at the heart of God as Jesus makes this one of the main attributes of a Christian.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9), which Solomon calls the wise course of action (Proverbs 29:8).

But before we move on as to what it means to be a peacemaker, I’d like to point out that there is a real scary part of wanting justice, which I believe needs to happen, but the scary part of this equation is that justice must first be procured within ourselves.

What do I mean? Before justice can be pronounce upon another, God reminds us of the justice that He demands first, which starts with the wrongs we’ve done to others and especially to God.

To those who wanted justice against the woman caught in adultery, and who were ready to mete out such justice right then and there; Jesus said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone." (John 8:7)

Jesus reminded them that they had to deal with their own injustice to God and His law before any justice could be meted out upon anyone else.

A man innocent of a crime was approached by a friend who said they were praying for justice. The man responded, “Don’t pray for justice, pray for God’s mercy.”

Therefore, the peace we need, the peace we long for isn’t found in justice being served, but rather in God’s mercy being poured out.

Further, look again at Jesus’s beatitude and note that it says, blessed are the peacemakers, not the peace lovers, or the peaceable. In other words, blessed are those who make peace, that is, those who actively seek to resolve conflict rather than create it.

So how can we learn to make peace, not only with one another, but also with God?

First it’s not avoiding or running away from a problem. It’s also not pretending that a problem doesn’t exist. And if truth be known, none of us like conflict, and I really don’t know anyone who has the gift of confrontation. But to avoid a problem usually makes it bigger over time.

Next, we should never try to appease our way to peace, that is, letting others have their way, or to continue to let them off the hook, thus allowing them to continue to walk all over us. This isn’t peace; it’s abuse.

Why is this important, because when we don’t make peace God’s way in whatever confronts us, and whenever conflicts arise, then it not only hinders our fellowship with God, but it also hinders our prayer life as well.

When there is unresolved conflict, our worship of God will be hindered, and we’ll have a hard time hearing Him speak into our lives. So I think it’s safe to say that we all need to learn how to be peacemakers, and actively seek to resolve conflict?