James
said, "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of
righteousness." (James 3:8) He chose peace as the seed because true
righteousness can't grow where there is discord. Unrighteousness grows like
weeds in an environment where uncertainty and anxiety abound. Evil loves
discontent and restlessness. Mind you, James doesn't use the word
"peacekeepers," but "peacemakers." People who try to get
rid of strife through kowtowing or weakening their principles fail in bringing
about a deep and lasting peace. Peace for the sake of expediency is fragile, at
best.
Peacemaking
runs deeper than peacekeeping. To sow the seed of peace is to press a truth
gently yet firmly into the soil of another's heart. When peace prevails, that
which is "right" is given room to flourish. We can see circumstances
for what they are. We are able to choose the right path.
Peace
is a powerful seed in your hand. Sow it in the midst of a sinful world that is
too contentious to discern right from wrong. Speak words of peace to those in
your church who have lost their sense of what love is and who loves them
dearly. Let dissension and discord pass from your hearts so that the stranger
in your midst might be wooed to the Righteous One.
-- Joni Eareckson Tada in More
Precious Than Silver, Zondervan
Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998
#3646
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