Are you a Peacemaker?

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled. ~ Hebrews 12:14-15

There are so many things that come into our lives that attempt to rob our peace. Job situations, health issues, financial problems, marital troubles, rebellious family members...the list could go on and on. Most of these we can't control. It is our responsibility to pray and seek the will of God and trust that He will meet our need.

But what about some of the issues we have with people? What about that relationship that ended bitterly because that person hurt you or lied about you? As we deal with people, we are going to get hurt. We are all human. Not only will we get hurt, but at some point we will hurt others. Not intentionally, but that's just part of the life we live in.

So the question is what do we do after we've been hurt? Do we hold a grudge? Do we talk bad about that person to everyone else? Do we attack their character and try to plead our case so that others will feel sorry for us? Do we continue talking about them long after the incident is over?

Hebrews 12:14 says to pursue peace with ALL people. That means those who have hurt us. Now we don't have to continue in close fellowship with them, but in our hearts we have to let it go. We have to forgive and move on. We have to stop talking about it and trying to get everyone to turn against them. If we're allowing something that someone has done to us to steal our peace, then we need to deal with it. If not, it will spread like a cancer and it will destroy us. We will become bitter and angry and we can't afford to let those feelings continue.

Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God." The Amplified version says the "makers and maintainers of peace." While we can't control a lot of situations that come into our lives, we can control our attitude toward others. We have to choose to do what's right even if it seems unfair. Even if it hurts. Even when those people have severely wounded us. When we choose to let it go and let God handle it, we release ourselves from a prison and are then free to continue carrying out the plan God has for us. Don't get stuck in a situation and forfeit the beautiful plan God has for you. Choose to be a peacemaker and don't allow anyone to steal your joy!