Does this situation sound familiar? Joel and I were at an event when a man greeted us and very passionately started expressing a controversial viewpoint that we did not share. The longer he talked, the more adamant he got, and the more uncomfortable it felt. Joel mostly smiled and occasionally nodded. After the man finished and walked away, I asked Joel, “Why didn’t you tell him what you think about it?” Joel looked at me and said, “Victoria, I wasn’t put on this earth to straighten everybody out. I’d rather hold my peace than try to prove him wrong.”
Whether it’s at home, at work, or at a get-together with family and friends, we all find ourselves in situations where someone is pushing their position hard, and we’re tempted to get in an argument. We know we’re right about it and they’re wrong. And we want them to know we’re right, because it feels good when we prove our point. But being right is overrated if it steals your peace and leads you into conflict. You can prove you’re right, but what if it produces strife between you and your spouse? You can be right and have a loved one walk away. You can be right and lose a friend. You can be right and be miserable.
Jesus says, “Blessed are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). He doesn’t say, “Blessed are the people who control situations and make them go their way.” He doesn’t say, “Happy are the ones who must be right all the time and get the last word in, no matter what it costs.” He says, “When you walk in peace and are willing to be a peacemaker, you will walk in the fullness of God’s blessing.” That’s the key. Be a maintainer of peace.
The apostle Paul says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). When you allow others to be right, it doesn’t make you wrong. It makes you a peacemaker. Sometimes you just need to smile and nod your head so you can maintain the peace. That doesn’t mean you have to be others’ doormat and agree with everything they say or that you’re not allowed to have your own opinion. It means you’re aware of when a conversation is going too far and getting heated. You understand when strife is knocking at your door, and you keep it shut. In those moments, peace is your guard and guide. The peace of God inside you is God’s way of saying, “Don’t push back and bring strife. You don’t have to prove yourself. Leave it to Me to handle. Be a maker and maintainer of peace.”