Many years ago Joel and I were at a meeting, and he and another man whom I didn't know had been talking for a while when I joined them. This man had very strong convictions and was talking passionately to Joel about what sounded unrealistic to me. I wasn't part of the conversation, so I just listened. Joel was very cordial and had a pleasant look on his face. Eventually, Joel explained that we had to leave, and when we were getting in the car, I asked him, "Who was that guy? Did you agree with what he was going on and on about?" Joel shook his head and said, "No, I didn't." Then I said, "Well, you were standing there so nice. I thought maybe you did." Joel responded, "Victoria, I wasn't put on this earth to straighten everybody out."
I thought that was so profound, especially when you meet so many people who think they were put here to straighten people out. They're the judge and the jury of all things. They have exactly the opposite attitude that Jesus tells us we must have in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). He's saying, "You're not blessed when you're right. You're not blessed when you win every argument. You are blessed when you are willing to let go of an offense. You are blessed when you who don't walk in the pathway of conflict. You are blessed when you don't have to have your way. You are blessed when you are willing to keep the peace."
When I looked up the synonyms of "a peacemaker," it states "a diplomat, an arbitrator, a mediator, a calmer, a soother, a go-between." It reads like the characteristics of Jesus, doesn't it? It's the attitude that He walked in while He was on this earth. He made peace for us so that we can make peace for others. We can be reconcilers of peace. We have to walk with the heart of a peacemaker.
The apostle Paul says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" (Romans 12:18). There is a place in your spirit that says, "I am a peacemaker, and because I am a peacemaker, I can trust God to fight my battles for me and bring the right outcome." We have the ability to draw the line in the sand and say, "I'm not going to step over this line into strife and division. I'm going to make peace." Let's be instruments of peace because there's a blessing in the life of a peacemaker.