Peacekeeper

I have spent much of my life being a peacekeeper. I didn’t even realize it until I started counselling and was asked the thought-provoking question “are you a peacekeeper or a peacemaker?” It took me a while to distinguish between the two.

Growing up in a Christian household, I always associated God-loving people as being meek and mild—easy to get along with and not in disagreement with others. I lived according to the notion that we should keep peace with everyone, no matter the cost. While I still believe these things to be true, I look at the path to gaining peace very differently and I see the person in pursuit of peace as taking on a very different role.

A peacekeeper is someone who will maintain peace by people pleasing and avoiding conflict. A peacemaker is also in pursuit of peace, but they do so by addressing problems head on and confronting issues that threaten the maintenance of peace.

To be honest, I really struggle with being a peacemaker rather than a peacekeeper. It means I must face difficult conversations and confront issues rather than just privately stewing over them or venting about them to a close friend. It takes me out of my comfort zone, but God calls us to be brave and he promises to give us wisdom in our difficult circumstances if we just ask. God gives us guidance on how to disagree and we can do so in a loving way. In the end, the peace we acquire from actively seeking it instead of sweeping problems under the rug, is a much more genuine peace.

Peacemaking isn’t just with others. We should be actively pursuing peace within our own hearts as well. We can’t do this by overlooking our faults and dismissing our feelings. Over the last year, I have really wrestled with finding personal peace. I had to slow down, look at some of the choices I was making, and evaluate whether these behavior patterns lined up with the life I desire to have. I am still a work in progress, but I am always fighting for that personal peace that comes from knowing you are being the best version of yourself.

So, let me ask you the same question that I was asked...are you a peacekeeper or a peacemaker? How are you pursuing peace in your own life?

Psalm 29:11