Day Sixty-three

“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise
a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:18).

Scripture Reading: James 3:13–4:1

Biblical peacemakers are not those who live in denial or with ulcerated stomachs from trying to keep everyone happy. Biblical peacemakers are people personally at peace with God’s authority and willing to bring a presence of peace to their surroundings. This world could use a few more healthy peacemakers.

James 4:1 asks a compelling question: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” Conflict is an undeniable part of the human condition. To some degree it exists in every church, home, and workplace. It does not always have to result in fights and quarrels, but it often does because people are resistant to assuming responsibility for their personal contributions to the conflict.

I fear that a tendency prevalent today is crippling our ability to take responsibility for our own actions. The trend is to blame somebody else for our behavior. We seem to believe that “everything wrong with me is someone else’s fault.”

Recently I was frustrated with someone who repeatedly forgot to submit some information I needed for a Bible study. I genuinely like this person so I tried and tried to be patient while the deadline rushed toward me. Finally, I was irritated because he placed me in the position to have to confront him.

When I finally mustered the courage, the man’s response totally disarmed me. He looked me straight in the face and said, “I’m sorry, Beth. I blew it.” I was so shocked at his no-excuses apology, every bit of the anger drained from me. I grinned and said, “That’s okay. I bet we can fix it.”

For days I thought about his response and decided I want to be the kind of person who can immediately say “I’m sorry.” No excuses.

One crucial way for us to become agents of peace is to assume responsibility for our own mistakes—for our contributions to conflict. Reread James 3:13. The writer reminds us that the one “who is wise and understanding” will show it “by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” Saying we’re sorry requires humility. By human nature, we don’t want others to know we’re ever wrong. We want to look good. Wisdom finally teaches us that those who take responsibility for their mistakes and can say the words “I’m sorry” without choking are the ones who don’t just look good—they are good. James 3:18 says they “raise a harvest of righteousness.”

I’ve found that those two troublesome words “I’m sorry” are not nearly so hard to say if I spit them out quickly. The longer I wait, the worse they taste. Start practicing this week. Say it to your children if you’re grouchy. Say it to a coworker if you didn’t follow through. Say it to your friend if you’ve left them waiting.

Say it. Say it. Say it. And sow a little peace.