Be a Peacemaker

Anyone can be a troublemaker. Anyone can gossip or grumble or complain. It’s easy to provoke and irritate and agitate. But there’s no real reward for that, and the consequences can be absolutely devastating—all around. God says there’s a better way. 

Be a peacemaker. Look for the good in others and help them do the same. Set a good example. Encourage those around you to be patient and kind, to show mercy and grace. When communication breaks down, prayerfully repair it with the goal of getting everyone on the same page. It’s hard work, sometimes painful and painstaking work. Some of that work has to take place in our own heart first. But it’s so worth it. The reward is significant; the impact can be eternal. 

Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. II Corinthians 13:11 NLT 

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:17–18 THE MESSAGE 

Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:18 NLT 

Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace. Matthew 5:9 AMP 

God, fill me with Your peace, and help me to bring that peace into every relationship, every conflict, every situation I find myself in today. 

This is an excerpt from 100 Days of Hope & Encouragement – a devotional journal now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.