Restoring Relationships

Believers agree on the most important things.  They agree that Jesus is Lord and the Bible is truth.  On that foundation, we should be able to make peace with one another. 

Once we have a foundation of truth, then we can begin making peace between people.  It not usually easy to make things right between people, but peacemakers find ways to build bridges between opposing sides based on God’s Word.

In Matthew 5, Jesus says in verses 23-24, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” God does not want people coming to church and pretending everything is alright when it’s clearly not. 

Sometimes people don’t cooperate.  Paul writes in Romans 12:18, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all…”  I’ve had people mad at me before who would not accept my apology and who would not work towards reconciliation.  Their response is not my responsibility.  My role is to make a sincere effort. 

Glorifying God is to put God’s attributes on display in Your life.  Jesus died to restore a broken relationship between us and God.  When we seek to restore broken relationships with others, God is glorified in the effort!  When God is glorified in your life, it proves that you really are a son of God.

Peacemakers prove they are children of God by actively seeking to mend relationships that are broken.

Biblical peacemakers never avoid the issues just like Jesus didn’t avoid the issues.  You’ve probably heard the term, “elephant in the room.”  It refers to the issue that everyone knows about, but no one mentions.  As long as the “elephant” remains in the room, peace does not exist.  The elephant is tearing the place apart, even if no one is talking about the damage being caused.  Not talking about issues that need to be discussed is not peace, but avoidance.

In James 3:17a, it says, “…the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable…”  Peace is only found on the foundation of righteousness.  Peace is made when two people see the wrong, agree on it, and seek to make it right on the basis of truth.  Peace, purity, righteousness, and truth go hand in hand.

The peace of the Bible is not a “peace at any price.”  Biblical peacemakers identify a problem, bring the problem to the forefront and conquer it.  These people often make waves and are rarely quiet.  Ironically, peacemaking often requires struggle.  It is sometimes painful.  It can be agonizing.  In the end, real peace can be found if we have a shared foundation of truth.

Notice that the result of being a peacemaker isn’t the absence of war in the world.  It’s not peace on earth.  Peacemakers are called sons of God. 

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

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