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| Thu, 09-18-2003 - 6:22am |
Romans 14:19
In the Sermon on the Mount, we read about the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9) It almost sounds as if they were a special breed with unique abilities. Some people do have a way about them that brings peace wherever they go. All of us, however, can become peacemakers because God has called each one of us to peace. (verse 15) Success in this area often eludes us, and the reason is that we quit too soon.
In order to be truly at peace with certain people, it is necessary that we go the extra mile and not only seek peace but also pursue it. (Psalm 34:14) Such a pursuit can be very costly at times, but apparently God expects some pretty heroic attempts in this area because He tells us to “pursue peace with all men” (Hebrews 12:14)(Hebrews 12:14).
In addition to this, (Romans 12:18) tells us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Sometimes we try too hard to analyze the words “so far as it depends on you.” We can get bogged down trying to figure out if we should take the initiative to be reconciled to someone or if we should leave it for the other person to be the one to approach us.
Jesus made it clear that, whether we have offended others or they have offended us, we should in either case take the initiative to be reconciled with our brothers. Even if a brother will not listen, we can still “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19).
