Peacemaker or Peacekeeper?
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God." Matt 5:9
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matt 10:34
I am one of those people who would like everyone to like me. I would like to keep the peace. I can't STAND for someone to be mad at me. Am I talking to you? Yeah...there are a lot of us! God has been speaking to my heart about false peace...the type that peacekeepers like me often create. It is deceiving...it's complicated...but there are often times when the Lord wants us to speak up, even if it will cause strife, even if it will end a relationship! Our flesh is often opposed to true peace. We have been deceived by the enemy into thinking that it's better to remain silent than to cause someone to be upset with us. In understanding that peace often times means picking up our own swords (cutting off a relationship, ending our involvement in something not ordained by God, etc..), we also have to accept that in order to MAKE peace we have to come under the authority of our Father...in order to speak with authority and confidence with righteousness and truth. Sometimes it is God who draws His sword to cut us off from that which we have no business doing...or a relationship which we have no business in.
Peace at any cost is not true peace. As Beth Moore would say, "If we are deceiving someone to keep the peace, it's not peace!!" I keep the peace out of fear of being rejected, fear of losing someone or something. It is a lack of obedience. I choose my flesh instead of coming under His authority. This has also been described as an "Ahab spirit." In the end, there is no peace this way...we always end up back where we started, struggling with the problem again instead of resting in His peace.
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matt 10:34
I am one of those people who would like everyone to like me. I would like to keep the peace. I can't STAND for someone to be mad at me. Am I talking to you? Yeah...there are a lot of us! God has been speaking to my heart about false peace...the type that peacekeepers like me often create. It is deceiving...it's complicated...but there are often times when the Lord wants us to speak up, even if it will cause strife, even if it will end a relationship! Our flesh is often opposed to true peace. We have been deceived by the enemy into thinking that it's better to remain silent than to cause someone to be upset with us. In understanding that peace often times means picking up our own swords (cutting off a relationship, ending our involvement in something not ordained by God, etc..), we also have to accept that in order to MAKE peace we have to come under the authority of our Father...in order to speak with authority and confidence with righteousness and truth. Sometimes it is God who draws His sword to cut us off from that which we have no business doing...or a relationship which we have no business in.
Peace at any cost is not true peace. As Beth Moore would say, "If we are deceiving someone to keep the peace, it's not peace!!" I keep the peace out of fear of being rejected, fear of losing someone or something. It is a lack of obedience. I choose my flesh instead of coming under His authority. This has also been described as an "Ahab spirit." In the end, there is no peace this way...we always end up back where we started, struggling with the problem again instead of resting in His peace.
posted by KariBryant @ 2:38 PM
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