Chapter 35b
Tuesday
Be honest: when there's tension between you and someone else, what's your first instinct? Most of us either want to avoid it entirely or quietly stew about it — and we tell ourselves we're "keeping the peace."
Today's Scripture: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." — Matthew 5:9
Reflection:
Yesterday we explored how God's cities of refuge were designed for restoration — not just protection. But restoration requires something most of us find genuinely hard: actually going to the person who hurt us (or whom we've hurt) and having the conversation.
Sunday's sermon introduced a phrase worth sitting with: peace faking. Peace faking is what happens when we avoid conflict by simply not engaging — not talking to someone, not addressing what happened, pretending everything is fine. It feels like keeping the peace. But it isn't. It's just avoiding the problem.
And avoidance has a cost. Bitterness grows quietly in the silence. Relationships drift. Churches fracture — not over dramatic crimes, but over misunderstandings left unaddressed, misspoken words never clarified, and offenses never brought into the light.
Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the peace keepers" — those who simply manage the absence of conflict. He said, "Blessed are the peace makers" — those who actively engage, who lean in, who do the hard relational work of seeking restoration.
The good news? The pastor reminded us that nine times out of ten, simply going to the person resolves it. Most of the time, they didn't even know they hurt you.
Today's Application: Think of one relationship where you've been "peace faking." Ask God today for the courage to take one step toward honest, gentle engagement — even if it's just sending a text to ask if you can talk.
A Closing Thought: Peacemaking is hard precisely because it matters. And God calls the ones who do it His own children.
