“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:9

This morning on the way to church I noticed a bumper sticker that read “War is not an answer.” I think few among us would say that war should be the primary path to peace, but is a confrontation sometimes necessary?

How do you define the word peacemaker? Is a person who seeks peace always the person who gives in, avoids conflict, and passively accepts a situation just to “keep the peace”?

Think about the message of the Gospel. God’s plan to restore relationship with mankind was anything but passive. He was activley engaged by sending His Son to die for our sins. It was the only way to create peace between God and man. And so the question is how do we live as peacemakers today?

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5: 18-19

Chuck Swindoll described peacemakers –

A “peacemaker” describes those servants who . . . first, are at peace with themselves—internally, at ease . . . not agitated, ill-tempered, in turmoil . . . and therefore not abrasive. Second, they work hard to settle quarrels, not to start them; they are accepting, tolerant, and find no pleasure in being negative.”

So, are we at peace with God? Are we working to be peacemakers in our relationships as well?