THE WORD FOR TODAY
'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.' Matthew 5:9 NKJV Matthew 5:9
Try to picture these two scenes. First: Christ in heaven defending you and acting as your Advocate before God. 'If anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defence-Jesus Christ' (1 John 2:1 NIV).
Second: You here on earth, accusing someone. The Bible calls satan 'the accuser of our brothers... who accuses them before our God day and night' (Revelation 12:10 NIV).
Which side are you on? You say, 'But I heard it on the grapevine.' Has it ever occurred to you that you might not be connected to the right vine? Jesus said, 'I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit' (John 15:5 NIV). The fruit Jesus referred to here is 'good' fruit. He said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' And what's the opposite of a peacemaker?
A stirrer! These are often people with inner turmoil, unresolved issues or a chip on their shoulder who go through life stirring stuff up. When they see a tapestry, they look for a thread to unravel it. Some do it deliberately, others unwittingly.
When you have little or no joy in your own life, it's hard to celebrate joy in the lives of others. To be a peacemaker you must nip conflict, criticism and complaining in the bud. Tactfully steer the conversation in a different direction. And if need be, talk to the person who is stirring things up. At best, you'll help them to change. At second best, they'll think twice about what they say to you.
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