Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Peace Starts Before the Conversation
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." — Matthew 5:9 (ESV)
In an ideal world, our efforts to create peace would always be reciprocated. But that's not always the case. So what does one do when called to make peace, yet the other party isn't peaceable? This question becomes especially complicated among believers — where you'd expect peace to be possible, but it isn't always.
I keep coming back to two things. First, not every broken relationship requires the same response. Sometimes the conflict isn't rooted in sin — it's a disagreement, a misunderstanding, or simply two people who see things differently. In those cases, pursuing peace is almost always the right path.
But when sin is involved, discernment is required. If you lack closeness or the Lord's leading to speak into someone's life, pursuing peace may still be the wisest path. But when you have the relationship, permission, and the Spirit's prompting, confronting sin must take precedence — even at the cost of peace. The goal is always restoration: to love the person in a way that creates space for repentance and a renewed relationship with the Lord. This kind of love is messy and uncomfortable, and peace is often sacrificed in the process.
The second thing that keeps coming back to me — and this is where it gets personal — is that living peaceably with others first requires an internal peace rooted in a close, personal relationship with the Lord and in His love, nature, and will.
Romans 12:9–21 offers some of the best guidance for living peaceably with others, especially those who persecute us. Paul writes that we are to love genuinely, show brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor, and bless those who persecute us — all while resisting the temptation to repay evil with evil. We cannot do any of this on our own. Only through Christ, who strengthens us, can we love those who make peace difficult.
And when we have the love of Christ in us — when we are rooted and at peace in Him — we are then able to practice what Paul writes in Romans 12:18: "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (ESV). That verse is the centerpiece. Do what you can. Bring what you have. Love as genuinely as Christ enables you to love.
And sometimes, even when you've done everything you can, peace still doesn't come. That's the hard truth behind "as far as it depends on you" — it acknowledges that the outcome doesn't always depend on you. At some point, you may need to entrust the outcome to the Lord and move on — not because you've given up, but because you've done what was yours to do and now the Lord needs to do the rest.
Big Idea
You can't make peace with someone else until you're at peace in Christ yourself.
Questions to Ponder
Are you in a situation where you desire peace with another believer, but they are unwilling or struggling to reciprocate? Does anything in today's post speak to how you might move forward? Where is your relationship with the Lord right now — and what would it look like to go deeper?
Application
If there's a relationship in your life where peace feels out of reach, start with the one you can control — your relationship with Christ. Before you strategize, confront, or try again, ask the Lord to settle your heart first. Then, prayerfully consider what the conflict requires. If sin is involved and the Lord is prompting you to address it, trust His leading — even if it's uncomfortable. Otherwise, take a step toward peace: a conversation, an apology, or simply an outstretched hand. Let Romans 12:18 guide you: do what you can, as far as it depends on you, and trust Him with the rest.
Before the Lord — a daily devotional by Blake S. Crawford. Read more and subscribe free at blakescrawford.com/before-the-lord.