The mantra of a lot of us guys is \u201canything for a quiet life!\u201d My dad developed the fine art of saying \u201cYes, dear\u201d to my mother so convincingly that she believed that she had won the argument. Actually dad had simply decided that it was not worth the hassle to continue!<\/p>\n
Keeping the peace as a euphemism for \u201canything for a quiet life\u201d might involve a degree of compromise, of accepting something in which you do not believe because you cannot find the enthusiasm to fight for that in which you do believe. It is also interesting that \u201cpeace-keeping\u201d is now associated with military activity the main aim of which is usually to keep rival factions apart.<\/p>\n
But Jesus said \u201cBlessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 5:9). The same word is used in Colossians 1:20 \u2013 \u201cFor it was the Father\u2019s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Being a peacemaker is not about a quiet life or simply preventing troublesome situations. It is about seeking to reconcile differences. It is about bringing people together, not keeping them apart. It involves action and sacrifice \u2013 Jesus himself made the supreme sacrifice on the cross and he is the Prince of Peace! Our highest aim as ambassadors of his peace is to help people become reconciled to God through personally accepting Jesus\u2019 sacrifice for themselves.<\/p>\n So next time we are tempted to just \u201cKEEP the peace\u201d let\u2019s ask ourselves a question: is there a peace here that needs to be MADE?<\/p>\n