Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

A few years back I realized that I was a Peacemaker, in fact I had always been one.  Even as a little child I was always trying to "smooth things over" between friends and family.  In a way I think that we as Christians are all called to make peace with others or to help others to do this.  But I also feel that God selects some of us to be actual Peacemakers.  Those who feel in their hearts that they can help others to understand miscommunication, or to smooth out offenses.  There are those of us who He gives insight to on how to handle situations or speak to people.

To be a Peacemaker (whether as a gifting or just because the Bible says so) you need to understand how to resolve conflict Biblically.  Resolving conflict through the Word of God is the key element in this calling.  When I felt the Lord telling me that I was a Peacemaker, I researched the verse and came across a ministry called Peacemaker Ministries ( www.peacemaker.net) and a wonderful book called The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, this book really changed my life and reaffirmed what the Lord was telling me.

I have started teaching our Children's Church group the practice of Biblical conflict resolution. We are in the third lesson now and I am really excited to see the light go off in their heads as they talk about how the Lord wants us to deal with conflict - something these kids are faced with on a regular basis whether it is in school, family or even just in the park.  I had a wide awakening to what these kids who range in age from 6 - 12 have already seen and/or encountered.

I had to smile this past Sunday when one of them spoke up and said - "I think adults should learn this stuff" I then told him that maybe God will use him to teach the adults in his life.  He smiled and I know that something has touched his heart.

Think about it - if more people had an understanding on how to resolve conflict in a healthy and Biblical way, how many conflicts, lawsuits or even tragedies we would avoid, there could actually be PEACE - what a concept.