Am I actively involved in promoting peace? Do I seek peaceful solutions to my own relationship issues? Do I broker peace in the lives of those around me? Do I pray for peace between families, communities, factions, or nations? And what is the reward for being a peace promoter?
One promise is found in Proverbs 12:20, where it offers, “-to the counselors of peace is joy.” Here, the idea of being a counselor or promoter or broker of peace is rewarded with the prize of personal joy. Apparently, as I seek peace for my own relationships and in the relationships of others, one perk is a rise in my own joy. This joy is derided from seeing the union unified and the relationship relating on a more gentle and humble plain. Helping others obtain peace can bring me joy.
I’ve seen many bumper stickers that say, “I leave peace prints.” This is actually a motto of a prison, non-profit, which helps former prisoners transition back into their communities as responsible and reliable citizens. Perhaps their motto could be embraced as one of life’s goals for individuals as well as communities. If I leave behind an “easily-tracked” path of peace prints, if I’m a counselor of peace, then I also bolster my own peace and joy.
Do I actively seek for, counsel for, and champion peace in my life and the lives of others? If not, what is my reason for delay? Why wait to be a counselor of peace?
