The Beatitudes - 7

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God. — Matthew 5:9


PEACEMAKERS. Peace is such an important quality. Everyone strives to find peace. Sometimes we mistakenly believe that peace comes from wealth, and we chase after it. But true peace is a matter of the mind. There are people with nothing, yet they are at peace, while others who have everything are still searching for it. What we often forget is that peace is actually within us; we just need to look inside ourselves.

Peacemakers are those who not only seek peace within themselves but also desire it for others. They want their surroundings to be peaceful. Sometimes, when we pursue justice, we may overlook peace. But with a little patience or forgiveness, peace can be easily achieved. For instance, if someone hurts us, our first instinct might be, "You hurt me? I’ll hurt you more." But by doing that, we create a cycle of pain, going back and forth, instead of fostering peace. So, the first question we should ask ourselves when someone hurts us is, "Is this worth fighting for at the expense of my peace?" More often than not, the answer would be no.

But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. — Matthew 5:39

We may have heard this verse many times. Some people say, "I can’t live like this. Maybe it was possible in Jesus' time, but not now." But if we reflect on it, Jesus is talking about the mind. When we retaliate, we think we’re settling the score, but we often pay a much bigger price: our peace. However, when we follow Jesus' teaching, we break the cycle of conflict and disturb the other person’s peace—who knows, they might repent. Still, there are some who do not appreciate our acts of kindness. In those cases, it’s better to distance ourselves from them, rather than engaging in a fight and disrupting our peace.

 And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. — Isaiah 9:6

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. As His children, we naturally inherit peace.


Retaliation or Peace?

 

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