Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

The day after writing Kingdom Living I am presented with a different point of view to this verse. When you see the word peacekeeper what vision is conjured up in your mind? A police officer, a soldier or perhaps a Noble Peace Prize winner might be there. Maybe it’s your mom or dad that kept the peace in the family. Nothing wrong with that either.

Today as I struggle with the bitter disappointment of man’s cruelty, greed, selfishness and pettiness, I find I have lost peace in my heart. I fight to regain it. I once lived a life of shattered disappointment and I left all that to follow Jesus. The first gift I received was the peace of God. I can now live with myself. But how can I live peaceably with my fellow man if I cannot keep that peace in my heart?

I believe in truth and justice but neither can be dispensed fairly from a heart that is not at peace. I see a world that is bitter and angry and violent while trying to impose their will on others. Violence and hatred does not win over hearts, it only creates fear and resentment.

To be a peacemaker one has to first have peace in their hearts. Love fuels peace, bitterness fuels war.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1 Samuel 8:5b “now make us a king to judge us like all the nations”

It has been centuries since any King has ruled with impunity. Royalty these days is ceremonial, they have no real power except as is influenced by social media. It stands to reason that people today have no experience in living under a King with absolute power.

What options are open to us today? Representative, theocracy, dictatorship, plurality are types which we are familiar with. None of us have a background of kingdom living. At the time of 1 Samuel 8 Israel lived under judges and man failed to raise up judges who were not corruptible. So they wanted a king so they could be like all the other people. They could not raise up kings who were not subject to corruption. So we rebelled against kings and chose other forms of self-rule. None of which are free from corruption.

So let me give you the words that hold the keys to kingdom living.

Colossians 3:15-16a And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;

God could care less what form of government your country employs, He wants to rule in your heart.