Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9 NIV
How is a peacemaker different from a peacekeeper? These are two terms that are mistakenly interchanged a lot. There is a difference and the difference is in how the person goes about obtaining peace.
Peace keeping occurs as a result of fear. For example, imagine a person who has a short fuse and becomes upset very easily if they are challenged in anyway about any of their beliefs. If this person, another person and a peacekeeper are having a conversation, the first thing a peacekeeper will do is try to not have the conversation become about anything that they believe will upset the person with the short fuse, especially if they are not in agreement with that person.
If a topic does arise that is possibly upsetting to that person, the peacekeeper will try to change the subject or even pretend to agree with the person with the short fuse so they do not become upset. This is done out of fear about how the person will act once they become upset. What this does is create an environment where the person who has the short fuse is able to say what they want, act the way they want and over time have a relationship where no one questions them. This is not the way in which God planned for us to live. God gave us a spirit of courage and not of fear and when we rely on Him we can do amazing things.
Peace making occurs as a result of courage given to us by God. A peacemaker keeps in mind the spirit of courage that God has given each believer when they are facing this situation. If a peacemaker instead of a peacekeeper was present in this conversation, the peacemaker is going to behave differently. They are not going to try and keep everyone happy. They will not seek out an argument but they will not avoid it either. Instead they are going to try and help both parties understand that each of them is able to hold their own opinions and still be in a relationship that does not need to become volatile.
Peacemaking, not peacekeeping is important in God’s kingdom. Peace is spoken about throughout the Bible. The ultimate peace that we can strive for is peace with God and Jesus became the peacemaker that was able to achieve that so that we can have peace with God. When Jesus died on the cross, He created peace, breaking the barrier that was present between us and God by paying the final price of sin for us.
The second half of the verse says that those who are peacemakers are called the children of God. Another time when we are referred to as children of God is when we become saved. Both of these times are in reference to the privileges those who are adopted into a family obtain. The same privileges as children born into the family. The adopted child is viewed the same as the biological child and therefore is called a child of the parents in that family. As children of God through salvation, we can then be seen as having a resemblance to Jesus, the ultimate peacemaker, when we imitate Him by carrying peace in us and promoting peace outwardly wherever we go. God is the God of peace, and we should imitate Him in all areas of our lives.
How do we become peacemakers and not peacekeepers. Peacemakers have some important characteristics that we can strive to develop. Peacemakers are people who are at peace with themselves, they are listeners who respond, instead of react, to others. They are interested in other people, focusing on the group as a whole instead of just themselves. As peacemakers who are also believers, we have the extra added benefit of having the Holy Spirit inside us to help us with the courage that is sometimes needed in dealing with the possibility of conflict that can arise when you are a peacemaker.
So, which do you want to be? A peacekeeper who reacts out of fear of others and wants to simply keep peace for a little period of time or a peacemaker who acts out of courage to promote and develop peace that can last for a long time. I encourage you to pray about it and ask God for direction on how you are to proceed.