Lovers of Peace

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17

I must confess that I grew up thinking that peace was something for hippies who drove VW vans, wore tie died t-shirts, and didn’t shower nearly enough. But what I learned is that peace is a lot more than just getting along with people or being tolerant of others. Peace is something that takes a lot of hard work and a change of worldviews.

Being a lover of peace does not mean that we let people walk on us. It does not mean that we are weak. Sometimes bringing peace into a situation can be the toughest thing that a person will ever have to do.

Peace is not merely an absence of evil, but it is the presence of God. In the beatitudes, Christ calls us to be peacemakers. When we say we are peacemakers, it means that we intervene in situations where there is no peace and bring the peace of Christ. We live out our lives in such a way that rather than seeking revenge, we seek to make peace with our enemies.

But before we can be peacemakers, we have to be peace-lovers. That means we have a heart for peace. Our hearts break for people who are not living at peace with one another. Rather than celebrating violence through everything from war to video games, we mourn for the fallen state of our culture.

Is there a part of you that does not crave for peace? Do you still secretly enjoy some aspects of conflict? Are there certain situations where God may want you to bring peace, but yet your heart is not in the right place to do it? Remember, only God can redeem us and give us hearts for peace. May he develop your heart for peace this week in ways that you never before imagined possible.