I was recently reading through Matthew 5, which starts the famous sermon on the mount. This verse stood out to me as pertinent to my current daily life.
Matthew 5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
This can be read on so many levels. World affairs, national conflicts, neighbor disputes, and even personal struggles. Plus a number of people do not seem to be at peace with God, and struggle against Him. It seems the world could use more blessed peacemakers at every level; it seems conflict and destruction are all that some people crave in this modern age. Yes, it’s a fallen world, but Christ encourages us to rise above.
Today, my encouragement is that I must be more peaceable to those closest to me, and to those whom I interact daily. I need to have the patience to allow things to play out as God intends, and not necessarily how I would desire. If God is in control (and He is, amen!) then I can and should have patience. I must react to others kindly. When I feel anger, I must pray about it before taking action. Though there are times I may struggle with God’s will and cry out “why!,” I must ultimately resign myself into His hands.
When I do so, I get to be blessed. The blessings are not just for the afterlife, but also this life. I have less conflict if I approach issues peaceably. I have had a few things in recent days that I was patient with, and which resulted in better outcomes than I expected. I need to be a peacemaker, and I look forward to being called a child of God!
