Peace Through Bold Outreach

Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life", sends out a daily e-mail devotional piece, which usually includes some scripture and thoughts for daily living. Catching up on my e-mail after the holidays, I came across the devotional from 12/26, written by John Fischer. In it, he speaks of attempting to make peace through avoidance, and how it hasn't really worked out for him the way he thought it would. It's often scary and difficult to put ourselves out there in an attempt to make peace in any situation, and that goes double (or more) when it's someone we have wronged and/or care for. Fischer is right when he says that it takes two to want to reconcile, and in saying it is up to us to make the first move to create the environment for reconciliation. I think that's all God really asks of any of us, whether in relationships with others or in our relationship with Him...to reach out and take the first step(s) toward healing in faith and with boldness and let Him take care of the rest.

"If I know a conflict exists in a particular area, I will avoid the subject altogether, or if I am in conflict with a certain person, I will avoid them altogether. This is not being a peacemaker...it’s being a coward. A peacemaker who works for peace by avoiding conflict says that I am not willing to put forth the effort necessary to face into a problem, I am too afraid to face into it, or I don’t care enough for the other person to want to seek peace. Do I care enough for myself to want to live in peace instead of conflict and denial?

Peace is never found in walking away from our fears, but in walking into them. Like the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz, courage comes when you care enough for someone that you will face into your fears on their behalf. It takes this kind of work to be a peacemaker.

Think about where there is conflict in your life and ask God to show you how you can make peace. It’s true that a relationship is made up of two people, and if there is a conflict, both have to want to make peace in order to achieve it. We can’t change the other person, but we can do our part to create the environment for reconciliation.

If there is a chasm in a relationship, you may have to reach all the way across to establish peace, but won’t it be worth it? God didn’t stay on his throne of righteousness, but reached all the way through the cross to bridge the chasm to us. Halfway is probably not far enough."