Matthew 5:9 (ESV)
⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The opposite of this beatitude would be, “Cursed are the troublemakers: for they shall be called the children of Satan.” All those who divide and make trouble are of the devil, not of God. Jesus once said to the Pharisees, “Ye do the deeds of your father” (John 8:41). Certainly, we would all agree that those who are troublemakers, dividing churches and wreaking havoc on relationships between men, as opposed to making peace, are of the devil. The scriptures are filled with exhortations and admonitions to live in peace with our fellowman (Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:13; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 3:10-11).

As many passages as there are exhorting us towards peace, there are just as many warning us against strife and divisions (Romans 13:13; Philippians 2:3; James 3:14-15). So, those in the kingdom of God who want to be called children of God must put forth the effort to be at peace with others. Notice I said put for the effort. Peace rarely comes by accident. Those on both sides of a conflict must cooperate in order for peace to be achieved. Here are a couple of things that make for peace.

A willingness to compromise

This does not mean having a spirit of compromise when it comes to the doctrine of Christ. We can never compromise truth with error, even if it means division among brethren must occur. God desires unity among His people, but not unity at all cost. The only kind of unity that is pleasing to God is the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3). We must always stand ready to abide in the doctrine of Christ, regardless of the consequences (2 John 1:9). However, when it comes to matters of opinion, i.e., matters in which God is neutral, we must learn to be flexible. We must be willing, at times, to forego liberties that we enjoy in Christ, if those liberties lead to division. We should always be willing to compromise our own desires and wants for the sake of unity. A clear characteristic in this willingness to concede one’s liberties, is humility. A spirit of humility is always present in the heart of a peacemaker.

A willingness to resolve strife quickly

Half of living peaceably with others is, not only understanding how to put an end to strife when it raises its ugly head, but knowing how to prevent it in the first place. One way to do that is to take care of any bad feelings we have for someone else as soon as possible. If someone has made you mad by hurting you in some way, go to that person and talk about it. Do not play the role of a coward and gossip about it. Do not ignore the situation by ignoring the one who has made you mad. To do that is to prevent peace, not make it. Instead, get to the bottom of the problem and take care of it before it becomes an even bigger problem (Matthew 18:15-18).

Like father, like son. There is a lot of truth in that statement. As God’s children, we should be a lot like our heavenly Father. God is a God of peace, and if we can develop this same characteristic, we shall be called the children of God. By the way, the greatest way you can be a peacemaker is by sharing the gospel of peace with as many people as you can (Romans 10:15).

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.