My name, Mark, originates from the Latin word Marcus, which means warlike and is associated with the Roman god of war, Mars. As a kid, I sometimes had a Mighty Mouse complex and lived out my name. When I was in sixth grade, I got paddled for getting into a fight with my classmate at lunch. I decided to make fun of Andrew's watch, which led us to duking it out and being sent to Mr. Kamm's office. When I was a high school junior, I decided to knock down the goalkeeper who blocked my weak PK. That led to a red card and a suspension in my next soccer match. There were other dust-ups I had at recess and in the neighborhood when playing football, camping, and skateboarding that never led to formal consequences. By God's grace, my aggressive and nasty ways are a thing of the past, although I still battle sin every day.
Our world is filled with so much hate and violence. I'm not sure how anyone thinks we are born good. We don't have to teach our kids to be mean, impatient, or lazy. We have to teach them how to be kind, patient, and hard-working. We adults sometimes have difficulty getting along with each other, which can result in online arguments, shouting matches, divorces, or even prison time. Watch the news, and you'll see that global leaders have conflicting national interests and ego clashes that fuel catastrophic results and threaten regional and global security.
So how can we bring peace to our divided relationships and world? How can we be peacemakers and bring peace to others despite all of the feuds, rivalries, and conflicts? The key is Jesus. Without Jesus, there is no real peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) who can give us a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday to make peace between God and sinners. We are to share His message of peace, His good news, to all those we can. When we trust in Jesus, we are blessed with peace and joy regardless of our circumstances, and an eternal home free from sin, Satan, suffering, disease, death, and destruction. We become peacemakers who are adopted into God's forever family.
So, do you know Jesus, Our Peace, as your Lord and Savior? Not just know about Him, but do you follow Him? Worship Him? Love Him? Are you a peacemaker who brings reconciliation to broken relationships? Let's not gloss over problems, but teach our kids about the Peacemaker. And if possible, let's live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18).
If you would like to discuss any of this further, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'll do what I can to listen and point you to the One who can give us perfect peace.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
