Becoming an instrument for peace

There was a song I loved to sing when I was in school. It began like this: "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace." I loved the music, but the words never seemed very important to me. And I haven't thought about that song in a long, long time. That is, not until a few days ago.

In recent weeks, it seems that I've been hearing details of chemical, biological, nuclear, and a whole list of other kinds of weapons. And I've felt that I needed to shift my focus from these instruments of war. As I was thinking about how to go about changing my perspective, the first line of that long-forgotten song popped into my mind—"Make me an instrument of Thy peace." Yes, I thought, that's what we need now—instruments of peace.

But how do I go about being a peace instrument? I couldn't remember the rest of the song, only that there was something about sowing love instead of hatred. Well, that was a good place to start. And so, when an aggressive driver cut in front of me in heavy traffic, I resisted the feeling of irritation. Perhaps he needed to get somewhere in a hurry. God would see that he and I were each in the right place at the right time.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
The peace of God
April 14, 2003
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit