James (W7D5) Peacemakers
Week 7. Friday: Peacemakers
PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.
READ: James 3:18
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words
Peacemakers: Being a peacemaker is active and not passive. We seek to make peace where there is conflict. As followers of Christ we are called to peace (Colossians 3:15). Jesus taught in Matthew 5:9 that peacemakers will be blessed and called children of God. When we live and act in peace it shows the unbelieving world that there is something different about us.
Sow in peace (Greek: speirō en eirēnē): Jesus taught in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23) that the word of God or the Gospel is the seed. Like the sower we are called to scatter the Gospel to those around us. Some will accept it and others will not. James is teaching here that no matter what reaction we get, we are to sow in peace. We cannot force our faith on others nor should we get angry when others choose to reject our faith.
Harvest of righteousness: James is illustrating here that when we live and act in peace it produces righteous results. We sow the seed peacefully and God is responsible for the results. When we sow in peace we find righteousness.
APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?
What do you think it means to be a peacemaker?
What are some ways you can bring peace to situations and relationships around you?
PRAY: Ask God to help you become a peacemaker to those around you.
