Peacekeeper or Peacemaker

There is a difference between a peace keeper and a peace maker.

A peacekeeper only wants to get along compromising truth to accomplish this.

A peacemaker wants to get to the root of the problem to fix it so that it is no longer a problem.

Compromising to feel better is worthless, but the hard work of fixing the problem at the root is what matters the most.

Aren't we glad doctors don't compromise when someone has a tumor, pretending its not there hoping it goes away. Instead the surgeon does the hard and messy work of cutting open the body to remove that which is dangerous. At the end of it the problem is gone, the wound heals and life is much better.

Those who are peacekeepers are often angry or fearful inside, they lack strength and resolves, this is why they work so hard to pretend there is no problem. They know if there is a discussion they may have to admit something for the problem to be solved. They know that someone's feelings might be hurt and it might be theirs. They fear losing a friend or being called mean spirited. Their resistance to resolving a problem is based not on truth or on an elimination of the problem but rather on their own personal feelings to maintain friendships. Sadly these friendships are not based on helping one another. The big fake smiles and happy fun does not resolve life issues, but it often causes people to remain sinful, ignorant and superficial their entire lives.

The peacemaker desires a permanent solution that resolves the problem entirely. This person wants to dialogue to discover the obstacle and remove it. Once the obstacle is removed the relationships can continue only with greater wisdom and a depth of bonding that could not have been there before.

John 13:34
"And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

How does God love His children? The answer is in the next set of verses.

Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises everyone He receives as a son.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"

God disciplines His children just as we should discipline one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Matthew 18:15-16 "15 If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’…"

Isaiah 1:15-16 "15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!…"

Notice that if we do not listen to God He will stop speaking to us, and if our brother will not listen to us to resolve a matter then we are to treat him the way God treats those who will not listen to Him, that is to ignore them.

When a rebellious brother or sister will not listen to a rebuke then we must walk away and avoid them until they confess their need to listen and repent. God says that if we hate our brother we have committed murder. Those who refuse to confess their sin to be cleansed are operating in hatred for their brother or sister.

1 John 3:14-16 "…14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. 16 By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.…"

It is not the goal of the born again believer to make everyone happy, the goal is to help one another be more holy.

1 Peter 2:1-3
As Newborn Babes
1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."