Success and Failure Blog

First Step to Peace

Peacekeeper. Searching the dictionary this word means “a person who maintains or restores peace and amity; mediator: Mother was the peacekeeper in our family or a soldier, military force, etc., deployed to maintain or restore peace: American marines sent abroad as peacekeepers.

One of the above is Biblical. Which is not?

Only through Christ can peacemaking be a possibility.

A shalom maker is not: easy going, always tolerant, an appeaser or afraid of making waves.

A shalom maker is: quiet (James 1:19), honest, willing to risk pain, a fighter and full of character (James 3:17, Ephesians 4:3)

The politically correct world in which we live would not like to be reminded that merely “keeping the peace” does not bring about true change that God speaks of in His Word. As true believers in Christ, we must live in holiness actively pursuing peace in its fullness. We must be thoughtful but never impolite. The peacemaker listens and evaluates. He/she makes trouble to make peace. This process of true peace is only accomplished by again – - understanding who God is. And who He is not.

Consider Matthew 10:34.

Possibly you are asking, “Where is the love?” That does not sound like peace to me! But this is God’s Word and God in His Bible we see the threading interwoven just to make sure we “get it”. Luke 12:49-53 and Luke 14:25-33 remove all doubt. God is not interested in His followers being merely “peacekeepers”.

Who is the peacemaker? Only through Christ can peacemaking be a possibility. Apart from Christ we do nothing (John 15:5).

Next time we will take more time to take in the scene below. The ascent so far has challenged us with a bit of rocky terrain. I can’t promise you it will be any easier but I can promise you the Truth!

Shalom!

Do you believe that people can’t be successful and spiritual at the same time?  Speaking as one who grew up in the church, we were often taught that we should equate humility with poverty.  We were also led to assume that successful people could not be humble.  That  was certainly misleading!

2 Chronicles 26 relates the story of King Uzziah, stating in the 4th and 5th verses, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”

As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, and minded religion, God made him to prosper.  Those only prosper whom God makes to prosper; for prosperity is His gift.  Many have owned, that as long as they sought the Lord, and kept close to their duty, they prospered; but when they forsook God, every thing went cross.  God never continues either to bless the indolent or to withhold his blessing from the diligent.  He will never suffer any to seek his face in vain (bible verse notes taken from Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible).

When successful people speak, others tend to listen.   If you have a story of Christian success,  do you share it with others?  Your positive message may be just what someone else needs to hear (or read) to jumpstart their own journey to success!!

More bible commentary on King Uzziah can be found at  BibleGateway