“Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9
I’ve written
about peace in past reflections, and specifically about the difference between making peace and keeping the peace. An experience I had not too long ago let me put
this lesson into practice.
At the time,
I felt angry over something that was out of my control. I didn’t know what to
do. Was I going to vent to anyone willing to listen? Was I going to do nothing except stew over the unfairness
of it all? Was I going to get myself in a tizzy by brooding over it?
I realized
none of those options were going to produce any good effect. So then I asked
myself, “How does Christ want me to handle this? What can I do to make myself
feel better? How can I bring His
peace to myself and to this situation?” I couldn’t change the circumstances;
all I could change was how I handled them.
So, I took a
deep breath, and played the piano.
I started by
playing what was familiar to me. Then, I just let my fingers go where my heart
sent them. As I played, I felt my tense body relax and my racing mind slow
down. After a while, I felt my heart soften; kind words even came to mind. I
actually was able to see the situation and the people involved through more
loving eyes. In other words, I brought peace
to my mind, my heart, and my soul through the wonderful mellow sounds of my antique
upright piano. I created peace where
there had been none, instead of waiting for peace to happen. The circumstances
didn’t change, but how I felt about them – and ultimately how I handled them – were
covered in Christ’s peace.
In his book Access
and Release God’s Peace, Paul Martini makes this statement:
“We can be either a
thermostat or a thermometer. Thermometers tell the temperature and climate of a
room, but thermostats actually change the temperature and set the climate of a
room. Think of the fruit of peace working in you and through you as something
that strengthens your thermostat capabilities – your ability to change an
environment. As thermostats, we can confront real-life circumstances and choose
to express peace until the environment matches what is inside of us… It is
impossible to be a peacemaker, at least the way Jesus intended it, without the
Prince of Peace taking up residence in our souls. We must stay connected to
Jesus and choose to be bold and fearless in peace if we are to grow in peace
and strengthen our thermostat capabilities.” (Pages 53-54)
Let’s be
bold thermostats. Let’s be proactive in bringing Christ’s peace to ourselves
and our world.
“Enlighten
me, Lord, so that I may know how to find Your peace.”
Thank you for
reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell
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