S19P7 – The beatitudes: God’s children desire peace
Matt. 5:9
Blessed are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will be called the sons of God.
Before leaving this world, Jesus said that He would leave his peace with us [John 14:27]. This peace is our weapon against turmoil and adversity. It is an attitude of tranquility and level-headedness in the midst of circumstances that typically elicit the opposing response. The scriptures also command us to do our best to maintain peace with others [Rom. 12:18]. This peace does not speak of how we feel but how we behave. While the peace that Jesus gives us is not contingent on our circumstances, the peace we are to impart to the world is certainly evident by the circumstances we create.
To make and maintain peace is to operate in all things that are godly and good. Instead of aggression, we promote camaraderie. Instead of selfishness, we promote generosity. Instead of judgment, we promote compassion. When we choose to live in a manner that increases love and decreases hatred, we are operating in peace. This does not mean, however, that we accept all things with a joyful heart. We still stand against sin and death, which is the spiritual battle to which we are called. And as we engage in this battle, we are operating in peace. The call for the Christian Church is not to lie down and try to avoid ruffling feathers or rocking the boat, but to act in a manner that promotes God’s goodness on the Earth even if that does not conform to the world’s idea of peace.
When we promote godliness, we usher in peace. We know that peace is an integral part of God’s character because it is one of the fruits of his Holy Spirit [Gal. 5:22]. But God’s version of peace, the true version, may not always look the way the world thinks peace should look. This peace can manifest in kind words that diffuse a hostile situation or in powerful spiritual warfare that tears down strongholds and gives freedom. If we want to know whether we are operating in the peace that God commands, we only need asked whether our actions carry the aim of promoting his truth and goodness. When we contend for God’s kingdom to prosper on Earth, we are operating in peace. Father, increase in us our trust in You so that we may have the confidence to operate in your peace through all circumstances, knowing that by doing so You come to call us your children.