Conflict seems to be everywhere, right? Whether it’s political arguments that take over holiday dinners, heated comments on social media, or difficult conversations about boundaries, conflict can seem inevitable.
Conflict isn't bad, but unresolved conflict can take its toll. So how do we find peace in the midst of conflict, and how can we do our part to make peace in the world around us? We become peacemakers.
What Is a Peacemaker?
Let's start by leaning into Jesus’ wisdom in the Beatitudes:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 NIV
But what exactly is a peacemaker?
Peace Can't Be Forced
In Jesus' day, there were multiple interpretations of what it meant to be a peacemaker. A few decades earlier, Caesar Augustus, the ruler of the most powerful empire in the world, was considered a peacemaker. But he brought peace by crushing his enemies.
That kind of "peace" can be attractive, right? For us, pursuing this kind of "peace" might look like trying to win arguments, shaming people who bring up controversial subjects, and forcing everyone to get along. But generally, this doesn't create true peace—it only creates future conflict.
If we want to be peacemakers, we need to imitate Jesus' kindness in conflict.
That's not the kind of peace Jesus modeled for us. Instead, He approached conflict with grace, compassion, and love for everyone involved. As God, He could have forced people to stop arguing, get along, and never bring up controversial topics, but He didn't. He knew that you can't force, coerce, or manipulate people into lasting peace.
If we want to be peacemakers, we need to imitate Jesus' kindness in conflict.
Peace Isn't Passive
When hot takes and controversial opinions get thrown around the dinner table, it can be easy to retreat, stay silent, and pray for the topic of conversation to change to anything else. Sometimes, this is a wise and needed boundary. But these situations could also be God's invitation for you to be a peacemaker.
A peacemaker doesn't just go along with what everyone is saying. Instead, they're rooted in their identity in Christ and their mission to help others live and love like Jesus. And part of living like Jesus is engaging in kind, constructive conflict.
Peace in Action
In one famous Bible story, a mob approaches Jesus, demanding that He condemn a woman to death who'd committed a crime.
Now, let's imagine how a passive, conflict-avoidant Jesus would approach the situation. He might have said something like, "I don't know, guys, whatever you think is best is fine by me." Thankfully, that's not how Jesus responded.
Instead, He helped the crowd see that they were seeking violence instead of true justice. Then He invited the woman to turn from her harmful choices.
What does this mean for us? If we want to be peacemakers, we need to step into conflict with confidence.
So what is a peacemaker?
Peacemaker Definition:
A peacemaker is someone who models Jesus' confidence and kindness in the face of conflict and invites people to allow the love of Jesus to guide conflict toward a healthy resolution.
How to Make Peace
Peacemaking compels us out of our comfortable bubbles. If you’re interested in becoming a peacemaker in your home and community, here are three helpful qualities to adopt:
1. Peacemakers believe the best of others.
It's easy to put labels on people. We label people when we believe we know everything about them based on a single quality. But people aren't defined solely by their age, birthplace, political affiliation, or past choices. Instead, every person is uniquely made by God with worth and value.
If we forget that simple, powerful truth, it'll be almost impossible for us to make peace. So let's let go of our labels and approach interactions with curiosity and compassion.
2. Peacemakers lead the way with humility and empathy.
Peacemakers infuse confidence with humility. We know we're not perfect, and we don't have everything figured out, so we stay curious. Even when we disagree with someone, listening and seeking to understand their perspective is an essential quality in our role as a peacemaker.
Jesus was a peacemaker because He lived for others. His motivation was others-focused love. Being a peacemaker means having confidence in what you believe while showing love, kindness, and patience to everyone. It means that, even though it’s okay for us to share our opinions and voice our concerns, we prioritize other people above ourselves.
3. Peacemakers lead the way with truth and grace.
As we explored above, being a peacemaker doesn’t mean we compromise our beliefs to avoid conflict. Instead, we seek to eliminate needless conflict through empathy, kindness, and love. Jesus certainly had strong beliefs, which sometimes led to conflict.
Any time Jesus interacted with people, He did so with both truth and grace. We need both to represent Him accurately.
Grace without truth gives people permission to hold on to harmful beliefs and practices. And truth without grace can lead us to care more about beliefs than people.
Jesus knew neither could save the world on their own. So, as peacemakers, we embrace both, standing firm in the truth and being led by kind, sacrificial love.
Invite God to Make Peace
Seeking to be a mediator for those in disagreement doesn’t mean that every problem will be solved—immediately or ever. But when we invite God into conflict and commit to the hard work of making peace, He can do far more than we could ever imagine.
A Prayer for Peacemakers
God, please help me do everything in my power to live in peace with others. You invite us to experience and share Your perfect peace. Please give me the kind confidence I need to step into conflict and bring Your peace. Please transform the ways I think and act to reflect Your peaceful power. And help me to spread peace instead of fear, and love instead of hate. In Jesus’ name, Amen.