“. . . or Happy?”

Matthew 5:9 – “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.!”

      We have all been in situations where we have been falsely accused or misunderstood or just plain lied upon or about.  We have been under pressure to go along with the crowd or ignore the obvious and pushed to follow the mundane. What sets us apart is that spirit within us that teaches, guides and comforts us as we make the ‘right’ decisions.  As my wise 90 year old aunt, Gerri, says – “do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?” 

     There will be some occasions when we have to serve as the peacemaker; and in taking on this role, we might have to swallow bites that we did not even want to taste.

     As a peacemaker we are called upon to look beyond the obvious and see things through the eyes of Christ.  As a peacemaker we must not dwell on the egotism of proving a point; stating who has the facts right; or raising the flag of superiority. As a peacemaker we become more and more Christ-like as we strive to live agreeably with others and elevate their thinking to see the good in every situation.  Peacemakers may never get their thought across to prove a point; but the way we live our lives speaks volumes of our faith in God to handle our affairs.  We don’t need to always be proven ‘right’; we would rather be happy and know that God is pleased with our actions. 

     Today strive to serve as the peacemaker in your group, at your job, in your home or while riding in your car.  For example if you arrive at a stop sign at the same time as another driver… you might have the right of way but if they seem anxious to race ahead, allow them to go. You might be in the right but a collision that could result is not worth the loss of your peace.

     Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a peaceful GREAT day! Don’t be distracted; stay focused on your purpose. Be blessed – Dr. JoAnn