Devotions with Pastor Michael De Haan

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
 
When there is conflict, pursuing peace can be the last thing on our minds.  When there is conflict we long to get even.  We want to be right, to be heard, and to win.  So we say things kind of carelessly, with words that can never be taken back. The problem with handling conflict in this way is that there is an enormous cost involved.  So often we find ourselves winning the argument, but losing the relationship—and that can be costly.
 
But Jesus offers a new way of living.  Rather than winning, Jesus offers the way of peace. Throughout Scripture, peace is this sense that everything is right, whole, and as it should be.  It is when the world is as God designed it to be.  It is also when relationships are the way they are supposed to be—intimate, close, and unashamed.
 
The advantage to the way of peace is there is no loser.  Instead, peace seeks to see the relationship restored and made right before anything else takes place.  Before another word is spoken, the way of peace assures us that “we’re okay, even if we disagree.”
 
We need a little more peace in our world today.  In a world and culture where winning and being right seems to be the dominant way to live, the lack of peace seems to only contribute to more and more conflict.  We need God's peace.  And the great news is, it starts with us, in our homes today.
 
So let me ask you:  Do you pursue peace?  This week, try it and see what God can do.

— Pastor Michael