Keep The Peace!
July 29th, 2009
"Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18).
Dear Michael,
A missionary in West Africa visited a sick church member. Since the wife of the sick man was also present, the missionary asked them about the state of their marriage, and if they lived at peace with one another. The husband's answer revealed his godliness and wisdom. He said, "Sometimes I say a word that my wife doesn't like, or my wife talks or does what I don't like. But when we start to quarrel, we shake hands, shut the door, and go to prayer. So the peace is restored again."
Peace is an important priority in all our relationships. God is the author of peace (1Cor. 14:33), and He wants us to be at peace with one another. For this reason we ought to give much thought to the way we relate to others. But peace does not dwell alone. It is accompanied by six close companions: "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" (James 3:17). Lets look at these Christlike virtues one by one:
Purity. In the Christian life, purity always precedes peace: "first pure, then peaceable." To be peaceable does not mean that we should ever overlook sin or be tolerant of evil. "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13).
Peaceable. To be peaceable is to be peace-loving. When we walk in the Spirit we will seek to be at peace with others and will try to avoid all unnecessary strife and conflict.
Gentleness. Christ Himself is "gentle and lowly in heart" (Matt 11:29), and He wants us to be gentle in the way we deal with others.
Willing To Yield. Are you ever obstinate or hard-headed? Ephesians 5:21 tells us to submit to one another. We do this by being flexible, open to reason, and ready to give in whenever the truth requires it.
Full of Mercy and Good Fruits. When God's love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit we become like Him: merciful and concerned about the wellbeing of others. Our hearts are made tender, and we readily reach out to one another.
Without Partiality. God shows personal favouritism to no man (Gal 2:6), and neither should we. We should not look down on any person, but treat others equally and respectfully.
Without Hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is concealing our true character or motives. Because God desires truth in our inward parts (Ps. 51:6), we should always be open and honest in our dealings with one another.
As you look over these seven character qualities, think of the One Person you know who displays every virtue in all its perfection: The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Prince and Author of Peace. And since Christ Himself dwells in the heart of every true believer, you can count on Him to transform your lowly character and make you as He is. Remember: Jesus became what we are to make us as He is. "As He is, so are we in this world" (1Jn 4:17).
In His strong love,
Demitri
