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By Joseph Perry

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

Is that your goal with everyone you come in contact with? Do you try to keep peace with everyone who crosses your path?

I was telling my daughter years ago that she had to keep peace with another girl on the playground. You don’t need to get into arguing back and forth. Later in life I had a similar issue in my own workplace, where it seemed as though there was a person who just came to work to make the workplace uncomfortable. They came to make the department not peaceful at all.

Some people will try to create an argument for no reason. But I’ve learned as I shared with my daughter time and time again, that we have to be the bigger person. Just because they’re doing wrong, doesn’t mean you have to engage in doing wrong and in continuing to stir negative conversation. If the truth be told, that’s the enemy trying to pull you in and trying to have you to start a fight. Don’t take the bait. It takes a mature person to overlook an insult and say, “I’m staying in a state of peace.”

Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are those who are right.” Sometimes, you have to let the other person think they’re right, even when you know they’re wrong. I know some people who would say, “Oh no, I’m not going to agree that I’m wrong when I know I’m right.”

You can win every battle, and you can prove your point, but your relationship that you had with that person has being damaged. Oftentimes when relationships get damaged, they never recover fully. Put your ego down and let the other person be right, even though you think you’re right. Be a peacemaker and learn to shake it off and move on. Always know that the Lord is watching you and how you react to certain things that come your way as a Christian. One thing we must never forget is that we are always being looked upon. People around us are always recording what we say and what we do. What they see, can in fact turn them away from coming closer to the Lord, or our actions can bring them closer. Just try your best to keep peace as a person who believes in living a peaceful life. Always think about the outcome before you make a move that may destroy lives that can never be restored.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Perry is pastor of St. Mark AME Zion Church. Contact him at josephp134@gmail.com.