“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” This phrase is taken from the famous Sermon on the Mount found in the book of Matthew of the New Testament.
WHAT’S A PEACEMAKER?
We often think of a peacemaker as someone who settles disputes, but in this context the word peace indicates something more. It comes from a Greek word, Eirene (i-rah-nay) which means to set at one again in quietness and rest (Strong’s Concordance). So, what was Jesus really saying? In John 14:27, he told his disciples that he gave them peace but not like the secular image of peace. He went on to say, “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Sounds to me like he’s talking about inner peace.
INNER PEACE COMES FROM INSIDE—THAT’S WHY IT’S CALLED “INNER” PEACE
According to the Tao Te Ching, “In order to maintain calm (peace), one has to feel oneself as an integral part of the Absolute. Then one does not develop false ego-centric desires.” In other words, The Absolute, the Almighty, is not an entity that exists outside of us but is an ever-present part of us. We can’t obtain what Paul calls “peace from God,” by keeping laws, following rules, buying things, controlling others, etc. We must recognize that only by believing that we are who God says we are (and it’s always good. People assign “badness” to us, not God. Our Creator loves us, believes in us, values us, and appreciates us.) There are those who are out of alignment with who they really are, who do horrible, ungodly things to others and to themselves, because they don’t know who and what they really are; the spirit within them seems dormant, but it’s there, just waiting to be awakened, to be born again.
STOP TRYING TO “FIX” EVERYTHING
I love what the great teacher, Wayne Dyer, said about peace and I believe he is onto something, “Peace is the result of retraining the mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.” Or as the Apostle Paul said, “Be content with such things as you have.” (Hebrews 13:1)
I remember reading one time, “Two men looked out of prison bars. One saw mud. The other saw stars.” They were in the same situation, but one was at peace and hopeful while the other was depressed and in turmoil.
PEACE RELINQUISHES THE NEED FOR POWER AND CONTROL
Paul referred to God as the “God of peace.” God is love. Love casts out fear. Fear has torment so there is no peace in fear. All motivations ultimately come down to one of two motivations: Love or Fear. Greed comes from fear and greed, the love of power and the fear of not having it, is at the core of every inhumane act on the planet.
Therefore, any act done in fear or out of its off-spring, greed, is not an act of peace, not an act of love, therefore, it’s not an act of God, because remember God doesn’t have love. God IS love. (See I John).
Did you ever think that maybe if each person in the world found inner peace that there would also be outer peace? Outer turmoil is a sign of inner turmoil.
Again, I quote from the Tao Te Ching, “Being satisfied with little, you can gain much. Seeking much, you will go astray. The wise heed this percept. If it could only be so with all people! The wise trust not only their physical eyes, thus they can see clearly. The wise do not think that they alone are right, thus they know the truth. They do not seek glory, yet people respect them. They do not seek power, yet people follow them. They do not fight against anyone; thus no one can vanquish them. They do not feel pity for themselves; thus they can develop successfully. Only those who do not seek to be ahead of others are capable of living in harmony with everyone.”
DON’T STOP DANCING
Joseph Campbell, the great student of mythology and world religions, had studied many cultures and came to a conclusion that no matter where people were from, if they failed to be true to that inner guidance system, that voice inside them urging them to follow their “calling,” at some point they would feel regret from not doing it. I recall specifically, a story of a ballerina who gave up a promising career in dancing, because her husband was threatened by her success. She gave up her dancing, her passion, her gifting, her call in life. Many times in her life she lamented giving up the dancing, always telling her children how she once was an excellent ballerina. Years later, after the husband was long gone and her kids were grandparents, she was alone in a nursing home, in her nineties with dementia. She couldn’t remember anyone’s name but she remembered how to dance, so she would get up beside her bed, do ballet and bask in the applause of her imagined audience. She finally found her inner peace. The point of this story is two-fold, no matter how much we “love” someone, it is never required that you hide your light under a bushel to appease their insecurities. That will not bring you peace. We cannot forsake our life’s calling because someone else is afraid to follow theirs.
LET PEACE GUIDE YOUR STEPS
In Romans 14:19, Paul encouraged those who be “in the Way” to follow after the things which make for peace and in another place, he urged the believers in the Way to let the peace of God guide them, rule in their hearts. He encouraged them in Ephesians to have their “feet shod” with the preparation of the good news of peace. This peace which comes from I Am passes all mental acknowledgment and understanding. It’s a spirit thing.
