The Wisdom from Above Is Peaceful
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August 26, 2018 |
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"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:17-18).
Dr. Jaerock Lee,
Senior Pastor of Manmin Central Church
Chairman, The United Holiness Church of Jesus Christ
Permanent President, The World Christianity Revival Mission Association
Founder & Board Chairman, Global Christian Network
Founder & Board Chairman, World Christian Doctors Network
Founder & Board Chairman, Manmin International Seminary
Founder & Board Chairman, The Alliance Holiness Theological Seminary
Doctorate of Ministry, and Honorary Doctorate of Divinity
His sermons were broadcast by the Far East Broadcasting Company and the Asia Broadcast Station.
He conducted crusades in New York City, Washington D. C., Baltimore, Maryland, Los Angeles, and in Hawaii of the USA; Japan; India; Pakistan; the Philippines; Argentina; Honduras; Peru; Russia; Germany; Kenya; Tanzania; Uganda; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Jerusalem of Israel; and Estonia.
Humans are social beings. They live with their parents at home when they are young and spend time with their friends at school while youths. After their study, they become members of their society and work together. They were born and raised in different backgrounds, but if each of them insists on their own righteousness in every matter, they may hurt each other's feeling frequently and peace may be broken among them.
Therefore, to achieve everything successfully at home, at school, and in the business place we need the wisdom that brings about peacefulness with everybody. The wisdom from above is peaceful. It is a key to dealing with every matter in the will of God and a passage leading to blessings that bring down God's grace. With such wisdom, we can move and unite the hearts of people and bear abundant fruit.
1. The Spiritual Meaning of 'Peace'
A feeling of peace is defined in dictionaries as feeling calm without worries, and if there is peace among a group of people, they live or work together in a friendly harmony without quarrels. God wants His children to make peace among each other. He desires them to have no discord, no petty arguments, and no quarreling. 'Peace' in a spiritual sense refers to 'the state of having a broad and beautiful heart capable of embracing and loving anybody.'
Anyone can easily make peace with those who are in accord with their character type. But the peace God wants you to have is 'peace with everyone.' It is not about having peace with some and feeling uncomfortable with others. But it is to embrace and make peace with all people with a broad heart. If you have no goodness in heart, however, it is difficult to make peace with all people no matter how hard you try. It is because when you are put in an unwanted or awkward situation, your heart may be shaken, though you look peaceful on the outside.
Therefore, to achieve peace God wants us to have, we need to have 'peace with ourselves.' To do so, we should cast away every form of evil such as hatred, jealousy, arrogance, pride, and ill feelings. We can have peace with ourselves only after we finish the fight against sin and evil and become sanctified. Then, we can make peace with all people such as our spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. And we can then make peace with God, and the 'peace with God' means that we have no wall of sin against God.
In fact, 'making peace with God' is most important in achieving peace. But peace with oneself by casting off every form of evil is a prerequisite to have peace with God. When we have peace with ourselves, we can make peace with other people.
Jesus, who came to the earth as the Savior, served the undereducated and unrefined, sinners, and tax collectors as well as good, well-educated, gentle, and obedient people. He made peace with everybody, and even made peace between God and all people by opening the way of salvation on the cross with love for all who were living in sin and evil.
2. The Reason 'Having Peace with All People' Is Wisdom
1) We can do everything in the will of God.
There are various kinds of people in the world. Among the educated elite and people in a position of social influence, some stay humble and maintain good relations with people in many different positions and sectors. But some others arrogantly look down on people. No matter how smart and capable they may be, if they ignore others and break peace, they cannot achieve something great. They may only hinder the work process.
There was a man named Jo Gwangjo in Joseon Dynasty. He pursued radical reforms for the king and the people of Joseon. His goal was clear and he was passionate. So, the king actively supported him at first and the people also supported him. But his reform plans were so aggressive and radical that some people opposed him. He stubbornly stuck to his plans to the last even in the face of direct opposition.
In the end, the king turned his face from him. He was even falsely accused and put to death even before he started to put the reforms into action. If he had listened to and embraced the opposition party, he could have achieved his reform plans. However, he failed to make peace because he continued to insist on his own ideas, which resulted in the consequence. He had a good intention, much knowledge, and definite methodology to go ahead with the plans, but everything turned out to be of no use when peace was broken.
You may have observed such incidents around you. For instance, some may show good work performance, but they are well-known for having bad attitudes. It is because they put their ability and wisdom above others' and hurt others' feelings. If they ignore others' opinions or situations, insist on their ideas, and do things only in their own ways, they cannot but have conflicts with their subordinates, people in other departments, or even their boss. They may become notorious for ruining the mood of your company or even become alienated by other people. Even worse, their capabilities may be underestimated. Thus, though you are competent, if you break peace in doing some work, it cannot be said you are wise.
2) God gives you more strength and ensures the fruit.
Peacemaking is very important in achieving the work of God. However smart and talented one may be, if he is a peace breaker, God cannot use him. It is because it seems that men make a plan and push ahead with the plan, but in fact it is the living God who lets the work be done.
If peace is broken in a group of people, it affords the enemy Satan a reason to bring accusations against them. And, in such a case, God cannot help them. Although they work hard, they will not be able to see great achievements. Many leaders may often think about how to deal with the problem of peacemaking.
Suppose a person is talented at something and has enthusiasm for God's kingdom. But people hesitate to give him a duty because he is stubborn. He often insists something is better and others should conform to his opinion. In the process, he may often give a hard time to other people and they may feel uncomfortable. Because of his stubbornness, many problems could arise. Then, people around him may be reluctant to work together with him because it could be hard to work together with him.
Of course, those with great faith may endure troubles the other may make. They may consider him and give him a duty so that he can keep full by working for the kingdom of God. For these people, the heavenly rewards will be really great, but no reward will be given to him who causes conflicts all the time. Thus, having peace is great wisdom to achieve the kingdom of God. Even if each one of people is less capable, if they are united, God will give them strength and ensure abundant fruit.
3. We Must Seek Others' Benefits to Achieve Peace with All Men
To achieve peace with all people in Christ, we must first of all cultivate our hearts into goodness. Some peace breakers may not think they are evil because they insist on goodness on the outside. But in their hearts, they are likely to pursue their own benefits. That is why peace is broken. Those who really pursue goodness do not break peace.
Among many parts of goodness, God wants us to seek each other's benefits. A problem may happen involving a married couple when they each seek their own benefits. They may want their spouses to do what they want and want to receive as much as they give. They may complain when things do not go as they want. As they often argue, their love also cools down. Thus, to make peace with people, you must humbly serve others and not seek your own benefits in the relations with friends, co-workers, neighbors as well as spouses. Then, peace won't be broken.
If you insist on your idea when other options are available, peace will be broken. It is because you may insist on what seems right, beneficial, and comfortable to you or what may reveal your contribution. Even if you learned the truth and know you should seek others' benefits, as long as you have no goodness in you, you may just show something that is not of goodness in words and actions. You may persistently stick to what is more beneficial to you, hurt others' feelings, and act rudely.
Those who have goodness in heart, however, comfort others' hearts in every matter. They seek benefits of the kingdom of God and consider others' benefits at the same time. They try to follow others' opinions as long as they do not intend to do unrighteousness. Even if your ideas sound more appropriate, you will not insist on them.
God wants His loving children to have peace with each other without discomfort and argument. He earnestly wants us to love, comfort, serve, and have peace with anybody. To make peace with everybody, we must examine our hearts towards God, which is the most important element in pursuing peace. If you serve others and humbly sacrifice yourself, you can embrace anybody and renew even evil people. However, if you compromise with untruth or go against the truth to make peace with people and gain recognition from them, this is not peace in the sight of God.
Thus, we must not compromise with untruth to make peace with people. For example, if you skip the Lord's Day to make peace with your family who persecutes you, it is not peacemaking but compromising. If you compromise with untruth, you may end up leaving God with your family and going the way of destruction.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as Proverbs 16:7 reads, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him," we need to please God first in order to make true peace with people. Hebrews 12:14 says, "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord." I pray in the name of the Lord that you will experience God's abundant works through the wisdom that is pure and peaceful.
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