“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:9)
Expanded Passage: Matthew 5:9-10
Pursuing peace requires being intentional with your reactions toward others. Throughout my middle and high school years there was a student at my school who consistently picked at me. When asked, I would always say it was fine and that I had no hard feelings toward them. This doesn’t mean their words didn’t hurt me. It also doesn’t mean that I was okay with being bullied. It was just that, for me, not engaging with the individual allowed me to live in peace, even though they were trying to create chaos. There are times that if we allow the things around us to control whether we experience peace, then we may often find ourselves overwhelmed and spiraling.
Those who are willing to pursue the things of God are invited into the family of God. Jesus taught that pursuing peace and standing up for righteousness are kingdom missions. And if we are willing to be a part of the mission, then we can be children of God and inherit the kingdom of heaven.
It is not always easy to avoid conflict. It is even harder to pursue reconciliation with individuals who have caused us harm. However, it is the kingdom thing to do. We cannot let our emotions get the best of us. Rather we must walk in a spirit of love, offering grace while experiencing chaos.
Be intentional about creating peace today.
Tara Klein is a doctoral student at Wesley Seminary (IN) who is passionate about helping people go deeper in their relationship with God.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
