
James 3:17-18, “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”
James, who was Jesus’ brother, was known as a peacemaker. It is recorded in Acts 15:13-21 that, when he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem, he turned to God’s Word as the ultimate test of truth between the Gentiles and the Jews, in getting along as brothers and sisters in Christ, rather than to man’s opinions, personal experiences, and convictions, as also noted in Galatians 2:9-10. His peacemaking skills came to the fore as he reached an acceptable compromise on an issue, bringing peace by drawing upon the Word of God.
How does one receive a blessing of being a peacemaker? Jesus promised this blessing in Matthew 5:9, during the Sermon on the Mount: “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.” Being blessed by God is more than merely being happy, which is about a happening. Happiness is like an elevator – it goes up, and it goes down. But when one is peace-loving and gentle, not depending on outward circumstances, we experience hope and joy. As Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Joy is a natural fruit of walking in the Spirit. Sounds like a job description of a “peacemaker,” doesn’t it?
James calls us not only to hear the truth from God’s Word, but also to put it into action in our lives. James teaches us in James 1:22, “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” He says it is like looking in a mirror and then immediately forgetting what we look like (James 1:24). We need to preach the gospel to ourselves daily, which gives us hope, joy, and courage. So, putting James 3:17-18 into practice, our ambition in communication needs to be to please God and to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), as shown through our word choices. How often would we have stopped to pray and ask God to tell us what to do and say so that we wouldn’t make mistakes because of our own selfish desires and idols of the heart, when faced with conflict?
When was the last time somebody provoked you? Oh, just an hour ago, you might say, or less! Yet 1 Corinthians 13:5 states, “love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.” Pray that you will not engage unnecessarily in conflict. When someone else is angry, think of Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Listen, pause, and refuse to sin in your communication (Proverbs 8:6-8). Pray to have the qualities of being “a peacemaker to reap a harvest of righteousness.” Foolishness leads to disorder, but the wisdom found in God’s Word leads to peace.
Therefore, James 3:17-18 should be a grid for any conversation or word of instruction. May our actions show sincere mercy, reflecting God’s goodness, and seek to be peacemakers, as James was and as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:9. Plant peace and reap righteousness as God blesses peacemakers.
Listen to God of Every Grace, Keith and Kristyn Getty.









