Sometimes a
short verse says a lot. A good example
of that is James 3:18 which says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest
of righteousness”. Those ten little
words have a lot to say.
For
instance, consider the words “peacemakers” and “sow”. Both of these words are active. We are not just to be “peacekeepers” (one who
preserves something that already exists), but “peacemakers” (one who creates
conditions where peaceful relationships flourish). Now these words are important because of the
difficulty of the action. It is easier
to just think about yourself and what you want, but we are called to do more
than that. We are to be people who
invest in others.
With that in mind, now consider
the words “raise” and “harvest”. Both
of these words imply something that is long term and somewhat uncertain. Raising something takes time and there certainly
are no guarantees. The crop may get
hailed on. You may experience flooding
or drought. The harvest is uncertain
until it is in the barn. The only
guarantee is that, if you keep doing it long enough, you will get a result
sometime.
This one little verse goes
against much of what we live with each day (Hurry, worry, self-centredness,
greed, consumerism) and it causes us to think upon completely different lines. If we listen to it, then we will become “peacemakers”
not troublemakers. We will sow and work rather
than just sit and watch.
The result of this sort of work,
according to our verse, is righteousness – both in us and in others. When we commit to being peacemakers, when
relationships become the big thing, when we do what is right and not just what
we want, when we are there with people through thick and thin and when we know
and live by God’s wisdom, then we will see righteousness springing up in us and
around us.
God needs people who can help
build bridges between man and man and God and man. You can be that type of person. You can make a difference.
Be a peacemaker who sows in peace
and you will raise a harvest of righteousness.
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