It's one of the beatitudes. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus made the statement. The word translated peacemaker there speaks of one who bring harmony, peace, and reconciliation. It means to pacify. It is quiet the opposite from one who holds grudges and carries bitterness. A peacemaker cannot be an unforgiving person. I know this, and have preached it for years. But in 35 years of living for Christ and being in the ministry, there have been times when I didn't want to be a peacemaker... and I DID want to hold a grudge. I felt like it was my right, given the way I had been treated.
We are in the midst of prayer and fasting. I had set up a meeting back before Christmas for this week. I didn't realize until we were locking into a time and place to meet that it would be during this time of earnestly seeking the Lord. I had a meeting this week with an old friend, who had become a foe. I had gone through a time of not wanting to see him, much less sit in a room with him. And although we have briefly talked on occasions since our parting, there was still a tension when our paths would cross. He and I met and prayed together this week. It wasn't one of those where there was fanfare and celebration afterwards. It was just a time to pray. The prayer went great, and the communication was open and good. I think, at least on my part, that peace has been made. I feel better about it. No, we couldn't correct the things which led to the split. We couldn't undo hurt made in times past. But we could resolve to move on, let go, forgive.
The same day I met to make peace and pray with this one, I received a call. It was a family member wanting to make amends. Although it was somewhat uncomfortable on my part, I knew that this person needed for their sake to apologize. In a way, the person was making peace with me, but more importantly, I feel they were making peace before the Lord.
Sometimes you just need to make peace. Sometimes you need to allow others to make peace with you. Whether initiated on your part, or on another one's part, it is good when you can bring peace to troubled paths.
Some other things are going on during this time of prayer. I will tell you about them later.
Y'all be blessed,
Pastor Ronnie
No comments:
Post a Comment