The Path Of A Peacemaker A Devotional By P. Brian Noble

Scripture: James 1:2-18

“Making Good Use of Tension”

Look around. Tension is everywhere. Maybe you experience it at the breakfast table with the spouse you chose and who chose you but who now seems like your enemy at times. Maybe you experience it with the neighbor who sticks political candidate signs in their lawn two months before the election and, if the person wins, leaves those signs up for months afterward just to rub it in. Maybe you experience tension with your boss, who plays you like a puppet and, when you do something to make them look good, never bothers to say thanks.

Welcome to our tense, tense world.

But here’s what I want to point out: like the tension in a rubber band, tension in life can be used in two ways. 

• Properly utilized tension is useful. For example, a rubber band can bind together a dozen pencils. It can help a little girl create a ponytail. It can seal an opened bag of potato chips to keep them fresh. It can power a model airplane into the sky.

• Improperly utilized tension is dangerous. Held between two fingers and stretched back, a rubber band can be snapped to intentionally hurt a sibling. (Not, of course, that I know this from personal experience!) Wrapped too tightly around a wrist or a finger, a rubber band can cut off circulation.

Don’t you want to use the tension in your life for good rather than harm? James 1:2–4 says we should be joyful in trials (tension). Why? Because trials help us develop perseverance and perseverance develops maturity.

Perseverance means we have grit, moxie, stamina, persistence, backbone. Like a diamond, we have to be tested, challenged, put under pressure to become perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

That’s the kind of person God desires to create through the tension of everyday life. But when we refuse to accept tension as a gift, when we consider it an affront to the perfect life we believe we deserve, then our “faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors” (v. 3 MSG).

Open one eye to the world, and you will find tension.

Open both eyes to the world, and you will be depressed. 

Set your eyes on Jesus, and you will find hope.

What tensions are you involved in right now? What might it look like to face those tensions squarely, with faith in Jesus? 

Scriptures: Psalms 107:1, Psalms 139:13-14, Psalms 145:9, Isaiah 40:28, Romans 5:6-8, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, James 4:12, 1 Peter 1:14-16

“God in Your Story” 

Life is like a book. When you meet someone, you never know which chapter of their life you have entered. But when you figure that out, you’re better able to relate to them. At the same time, your life is like a series of chapters being written too. Don’t neglect to think about where you’re at in your own story. 

Furthermore, our stories all have context—interrelated conditions in which someone or something exists—that makes us who we are. Our backgrounds. Our experiences. Our parents. Our beliefs. Our geographic locations. The list of factors that shape us into who we are is endless. In other words, nobody lives in a bubble. We are who we are based on myriad factors—and the better we understand what those factors are, the better equipped we will be to deal with conflict.

So context matters. One of the reasons we experience tension is because of the context of our lives. 

And perhaps more than any other factor, your view of God is extremely important in how it shapes your story. If you feel God has let you down, your story is shaped or reshaped. If you feel like God exists but isn’t present in your life, your story is shaped or reshaped. If you believe God is your Creator, if you believe God is your Judge, if you believe God is your Savior, your story is shaped or reshaped.

When you are in conflict with another person, you’d do well to remember that their view of God is extremely important for their story too. Do you know what they think about God?

Look back at today’s Scripture passages and think about them in terms of what they tell us we can be sure is true of God.

• God is the Creator (Ps. 139:13–14; Isa. 40:28).

• God is holy and the ultimate Judge (James 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:14–16).

• God sent his Son as the Savior of the world (Rom. 5:6–8).

• God is a Protector (2 Thess. 3:3).

• God is good (Ps. 107:1).

• God is merciful (Ps. 145:9).

Understanding God like that is good background for writing the rest of your story!

Think back over the story of your life and how beliefs about God have been woven into it. How is your perspective on God affecting you now?

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

“Coming to Our Senses”

A centuries-old parable reveals the same things our modern-day conflicts are made of: tension, pride, ego, wrong thinking—the works.

Both sinners and religious people were listening as Jesus told this story (see vv. 1-2). Why is this important? Because Jesus had a message for both groups, even though they looked at the same incident with different perspectives. 

The sinners heard Jesus saying that the younger son wanted to do life his own way. He wanted his inheritance. He wanted to live sinfully. So the younger son went off and lived life as he wished. When things got tough, he wanted to fix his own problem. His do-it-my-way pride was so strong that he resorted to feeding pigs rather than admit he was wrong and return home.

Then Jesus offered the key phrase, the catalyst that turned the young man’s life around: “But when he came to his senses . . .” On that fulcrum the entire story pivoted. Jesus was teaching the sinners that they had to wake up and return to what they knew was right. 

Meanwhile, the Pharisees and the scribes—the religious people—were not likely relating to the prodigal. After all, they didn’t consider themselves sinners. They were righteous. They related to the older brother. 

They were not happy about the reconciliation in the story. They were unhappy about it because they’d spent their entire lives considering themselves noble and right. But who was the star of Jesus’s prodigal? The wayward brother.

What the older brother had in common with the prodigal son was this: both wanted to live their lives their own way. But only one—the prodigal—came to his senses and repented. The other—the older brother—had no interest in repentance, justice, and mercy. He wanted to live according to his own self-righteous works of the law. This was true as well for the religious people to whom Jesus was telling the story.

How does all this relate to us? If we have a broken relationship with God or with our neighbor, God wants us to come to our senses. He desires that we run to him because he’s running toward us. 

Thinking of the conflict you’re involved in at present, how do you need to come to your senses and run into God’s arms?

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 16:2, Jeremiah 17:9-10

“God’s Perspective”

In biblical peacemaking, we want to get beyond our own perspective and the other person’s perspective to God’s perspective. So, what does God’s perspective look like?

First, God has a heart perspective. 

First Samuel 16:7 and its surrounding passage are about David, but we also learn something about God and how he interacts with humankind. God evaluates all our internals because internals, not externals, are most important. 

In any given situation, God has a distinctly different perspective. He’s looking at not only our outward actions but also our hearts. He’s filtering every experience, every injustice, and every tension through his Son, Jesus.

Second, God weighs our motives to reveal our perspectives.

Proverbs 16:2 reminds us that the Holy Spirit takes each element of our stories and weighs not only the facts but also the motives behind those facts. We have all been in a conversation with someone we want to impress. We may exaggerate or even stretch the facts. God knows and weighs those motives.

Your perspective may seem right in your eyes, and my perspective may seem right in my eyes, but we need to ask the Lord to show us our motives.

Third, God searches our hearts and tests our minds so that we may see our perspectives. 

We learn this final truth from Jeremiah 17:9–10. How God searches our hearts and tests our minds is beyond me. However, I do know that our thoughts before, during, and after tension are very important to God. 

One of the key elements of our minds is where we set (or focus) our thoughts. If we want to gain a true perspective on a situation, we must be willing to set our minds on the things above (Col. 3:1–2). Once our minds are fixed on God’s perspective, we will pass the heart test. 

Here’s a simple exercise to begin gaining God’s perspective on a conflict you are involved in: write or say a prayer asking God to look inside you, weigh your motives, search your heart, and test your mind.

Scripture: Matthew 11:25-30

“Go to Jesus”

No matter what you are going through, go to Jesus. If you and your wife are fighting, go to Jesus. If you’re fighting with a coworker, go to Jesus. If you’re leading and people are not following, go to Jesus. He is the source of life. He is the source of rest. He is the source of all comfort. 

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28 NIV). Let’s break this down.

•  “Come to me . . .”

How do we go to Jesus? We go to him in faith. 

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). Be confident, have hope, walk in assurance even when you do not see how the things you are hoping for will come about. Your problems may not instantly be fixed, but at the very least you will not be alone as you seek to better your situation.

•  “All you who are weary . . .”

In life, we get worn out. We get beaten down. We feel as if we’re going to faint. But what does Jesus say? Come to him, all you who are weary.

Through prayer, Jesus will refresh you. Through his Word, he will energize you. Through his presence, he will comfort you.

•  “And burdened . . .”

What does it mean to be “burdened”? The Greek word is phortizō, and it could be used to describe a ship that has been overloaded with freight. What happens to an overloaded ship? It sinks. In the middle of relational tension, the ship of your heart can feel overloaded. But when the seas are high and the winds are strong, Jesus will keep you afloat.

• “I will give you rest.”

Jesus has already promised his side of the bargain: I will give you rest. Our responsibility is to accept that rest, and that involves willingly trusting him. 

People who are easily worked up do not receive God’s rest. They run around and make a lot of noise, but they don’t rest. Do you believe God is actively present in your conflicts? Then trust him to take the burden of those conflicts. And rest.

Regardless of the tension you are involved in, go to Jesus now and ask for his supernatural rest.

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21

“Peacemakers As Pursuers”

A reality check for biblical peacemaking appears in Romans 12:18. It says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (NASB).

God calls peacemakers to pursue peace with everyone. However, this verse is a great reminder that peace with everyone is not always an option. 

As we did yesterday, let’s break the verse down.

•  “If possible . . .”

Because we, as believers, are new creations in Christ, peace should always be possible. However, not everyone will be willing to reconcile or make peace. Sometimes making peace is not possible. Maybe the other person is unwilling or not ready. Still, we must be willing to pursue. 

I’m often asked, “Do I keep pursuing and pursuing?” How often you pursue or how long you pursue is dependent on what the Holy Spirit speaks to you. However, I believe you should always keep the door open to reconciliation. Let’s say you make a request to reconcile a relationship and the other person turns you down. Don’t turn bitter; instead, let them know you are always available.

•  “So far as it depends on you . . .”

We can make excuses for why we don’t pursue peace with someone else: “They’ll never be willing to reconcile, so why bother?” “They’re too stubborn.” “They’re just that way.”

We aren’t responsible for how people might react to our efforts at reconciliation. We are responsible for trying to reconcile.

• “Be at peace with all men.”

All of us can think of people with whom we have a broken relationship. These are the people we need to pursue. But let’s face it, pursuing peace does not come naturally. Because of our sin nature, we seek revenge before we seek peace. That’s why the following verses in Romans 12 remind us to leave vengeance to God.

When people don’t want to reconcile, we need to give a blessing, not write them off. And we should always be looking for opportunities to try to make a re-connection.

What are the obstacles you face in reconciling with somebody? How can you keep the door to reconciliation open?

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-11

“The Essential Attitude”

As we go about the pursuit of peace with others, humility is key. Arrogance not only won’t help two people or two groups iron out their differences but in fact will make the situation worse. Arrogance represents adding-gas-to-fire stupidity. When humility steps in, on the other hand, Jesus wins. When humility steps in, we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. 

Respectful communication demonstrates the gospel. We connect to the things of God, which, in turn, connects us with the people we’re dealing with. This increases the chances that we’ll connect to our goal of a peaceful outcome.

“Part of humility is taking responsibility for my sin and asking forgiveness even when it doesn’t feel good,” said Pastor Chip Ingram. “God wants to heal and restore your relationships,

but it’s not easy.”

Humility requires a Christ-based attitude, not a culture-based attitude. When a wide receiver scores a touchdown, the crowd exalts him for his efforts and, to some degree, for his ego-fueled end zone celebration. But in peacemaking efforts, God exalts us for our willingness to empty ourselves of ego and humble ourselves as bond-servants of Christ.

This is expressed in Philippians 2:5–9 (NASB): “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him.”

Of course, emptying and humbling ourselves is easier said than done. Alone, we can’t do this, but when we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we can. And when God reshapes us and the person we are reconciling with, he will deserve all the glory.

Think of humility in terms of emptying. What aspects of pride, bitterness, or unforgiveness do you need to remove from your heart in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to live at peace?