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It may seem counterintuitive, but “nice” isn’t necessarily the goal of a peacemaker. Jesus was the perfect peacemaker, and he is our peace, but as you study his life on earth, you will see that as a peacemaker he was not always what we would call “nice.”
There were times he said difficult things that others did not want to hear. There were times when he actually disrupted situations that were wrong—like people selling things in the Temple. But he always was doing what was good for others. We are called to be peacemakers, which means that if you always choose what you say or do based on the idea that it has to be “nice,” you probably will avoid hard but essential conversations. You will become a peacekeeper not a peacemaker.
But being truthful does not give us a license to be harsh. Gentleness is the key word when we are trying to make peace. You remember that Jesus described himself as gentle and humble in heart. And Paul wrote to the Philippian church that they should let their gentleness be evident to all.
Gentleness is required if you want to be a peacemaker in difficult situations. After all, gentleness is a fruit of God’s Spirit and it should be always evident in our lives. It’s a trait that helps bring peace and calm even in contentious situations. It’s a clear-headed way of dealing with others that creates safe spaces to address difficult topics.
Jesus declared that he came to give us peace—his peace, not like the world gives. It’s a different kind of peace, one that keeps on keeping on even in tough places. What we as Christ-followers must do is on a daily basis, receive the peace he gives for our own lives, and then share that peace with whoever God brings across our path that day. What a testimony we could have to our worlds if we showed them the peace of Christ by the way we live, and then we followed our Lord’s directive to be peacemakers by helping to make peace where we live, where we work, with close friends and strangers.
Christ has come to give us peace; he is our peace. We need to be sure we’re demonstrating it daily in our lives, and that we are peacemakers, people who bring peace to turbulent situations.
