For God's people, the Feast of Tabernacles is always a highlight of the year. Because we faithfully save our second tithe, we can enjoy a level of abundance far above our normal means. We also greatly appreciate the opportunity to spend time with old friends, and to make new friends. Then, as soon as it is over, we begin thinking about—looking forward to, and making plans for—the next year's Feast of Tabernacles.
Not only does the Feast teach us about God's great plan; it also gives us a taste of what Tomorrow's World will be like. The abundance we enjoy when using our second tithe is but a shadow of the abundance the whole world will know during the Millennium (cf. Micah 4:1–5). The peace and unity we share with our brethren at the Feast is but a foretaste of what all of humanity will experience when the Prince of Peace reigns on earth. In fact, the peace at that time will cover the earth so completely that it will even extend to the animal kingdom (Isaiah 11:6–9)!
Even so, peace will not come naturally to people during the Millennium, any more than it comes naturally to us today. The earth has been filled with violence for most of the last 6,000 years, yet human civilization is no closer to figuring out the way to peace now than it ever was. Although people want it, they do not know how to attain it. We are told, "The way of peace they have not known" (Isaiah 59:8). Peace has been unattainable throughout history because people have failed to understand that peace is the result of a way of life. People have not practiced that way of life, and the result has been disastrous.
At the Feast, we look forward to the time when the way of peace will be taught to—and then practiced by— all of humanity. By calling us to be the firstfruits, God has given us a tremendous honor and privilege—opening our minds to learn and understand His way of life. By doing so, He is preparing us to take part in the administration of peace in Tomorrow's World. However, there is a "catch." To teach the way of peace, we must first learn and practice it ourselves. If we do not learn and practice it now, we will not be part of God's soon-coming administration of peace. It is not enough just to know about it; we must put it into practice in our lives. We must first become peacemakers— then we can teach others how to do the same.
To become peacemakers, we must realize that real peace comes only when we put into practice God's command to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19). Although this command sounds amazingly simple, we cannot put it into practice without God's help.
If being a peacemaker is only a vague concept to us, we will find it hard—perhaps impossible—to become one. As we try to live by God's command to love our neighbors as ourselves, we need to consider what that command means. Above all else, we need to realize that peace is based on love. Love is the foundational element without which there cannot be true peace. When there is love, there is peace. When there is strife, love is absent. However, the love that is a prerequisite for peace is not the love the world knows. Genuine love involves our using God's Holy Spirit. To practice this kind of love toward others, we must recognize what it looks like in action, and then must put it into practice in our lives.
Avoid Offense
Real love stirs in us the desire—and the effort—to avoid offending others (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:32). Offending others is a very serious matter. Christ warned, "Woe to that man by whom the offense comes" (Matthew 18:7). The Apostle Paul was so eager to avoid offending others that he was willing to avoid eating meat, if eating meat would offend those around him (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:13). If we are to be peacemakers, not only will we go out of our way to avoid causing offense to others, we will also avoid taking offense at others. We read, "Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165, KJV). Nothing offends those who love God's law, because they trust in God. Their focus is on Him and His plan. They are not preoccupied with what others are doing or saying, and as a result they have great peace. If our focus is on God, we will not offend—or be offended—in our dealings with others.
Treat People Fairly
Peacemakers are equitable and fair in all their dealings. Many contentions arise because people feel they have been treated unfairly, so we should take every step to ensure that we are treating those around us fairly. We are training to become God—to become part of His family— so we must be putting on His character in our lives. As Christians, we know that God is not a respecter of persons (Ephesians 6:9). He does not play favorites. Although He has worked specially with Abraham's descendants to carry out His Plan, He has done so because of His desire to see all human beings accept His offer to become part of His family. Some have already received that offer; others will yet receive it— some before Christ's return, others during the Millennium or Great White Throne Judgment. God's Plan will ensure that all human beings have the opportunity to understand God's word, apply it in their lives— and become part of God's family if they respond to Him and obey Him.
God told ancient Israel to have one set of laws for citizens and strangers alike; there was no "home field advantage" for citizens (cf. Numbers 15:16, 29–30). Everyone was to be held to the same standard. Playing favorites or holding people to different standards breeds contempt and is a cause of strife. As peacemakers, we should strive to be equitable in all of our dealings toward others. God makes it clear that if we fear Him, we will not oppress strangers (Leviticus 25:17). When we fear God, we make our decisions in the knowledge that He is watching us and will reward or punish us according to how we act.
Be Humble
Being a peacemaker requires a humble attitude. Pride gets in the way of peace. We read, "By pride comes nothing but strife" (Proverbs 13:10). This is an astounding statement. Pride leads to strife. Where you find contention, expect to find pride involved. To be peacemakers, we must work to empty ourselves of pride. The Apostle Paul talks about this key to peace in Philippians 2:3–8. As peacemakers, we should not be looking out first and foremost for ourselves, as the world does; instead, we should put others' needs and well-being first.
Christ told His disciples, "unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Faced with a big and unfamiliar world, children begin life humble before their parents, and look to them as their first teachers. As Christians, we need to be the same way. Being humble means being willing to "suffer wrong" as Christ did, and not try to return evil for evil (cf. 1 Peter 2:21–23). As peacemakers—future kings and priests—we should be putting on the mind of Christ, the Prince of Peace, and should endeavor to make His way of life our way of life (cf. Isaiah 9:6). This requires humility, and it requires God's help. God "resists the proud," so to whatever extent we remain filled with pride, we are unable to avail ourselves of the help God wants to give us (cf. James 4:6).
Be Quick to Listen
A peacemaker is quick to listen. Think of the many times you have experienced some problem because of a simple misunderstanding. We all encounter misunderstandings, but they need not become sources of contention if we handle them God's way. The Apostle James tells us to "be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). When we do so, we build peace and diminish strife.
This means that we will always want to listen, and never assume that there is nothing to be gained by listening. We should be quick to listen, instead of speaking quickly before we think. We should avoid "knee jerk" reactions to what we think we have seen or heard, and should always consider our words carefully before we utter them. Being a peacemaker involves careful listening. How else can we provide the soft answer that will turn away wrath (Proverbs 15:1)?
Forgive
A peacemaker must be willing to forgive others. Consider the example of Stephen. Even while he was being stoned to death, he maintained a forgiving attitude toward the people who were executing him on false charges (cf. Acts 7:59–60). As peacemakers, we must be willing to forgive not only those who are repentant, but also those who continue to wrong us. With those who are repentant, forgiveness comes more easily, and we can work to heal any breach that was caused when we were wronged. We are commanded to forgive our brother when he repents (Luke 17:3–4). But, as the example of Stephen shows us, forgiveness is also required toward those who are unrepentant and are continuing to wrong us (cf. Matthew 6:12). In one sense, this is not the same kind of forgiveness; we cannot heal the breach until the other party repents and makes changes. However, when we forgive the unrepentant, we are not excusing wrong actions; we are simply letting go of the offense and trusting in God, knowing that He will sustain us in our trial, and that He will work with the unrepentant and teach them their lessons, just as He teaches us ours.
We cannot put limits on our forgiveness. Peter thought it might be sufficient to forgive a sinning brother seven times, but Christ explained that we should never stop forgiving (cf. Matthew 18:21–35). How much peace could we have in our lives if no one ever forgave us for any of our infractions? Similarly, in order to have peace, we must forgive others when they wrong us.
Love
Christ made clear that love is the basis of God's law (cf. Matthew 22:36–40). God's law is revealed in the Bible. The Bible illustrates through prophecy and history what happens when people love God and their neighbor—and when they fail to do so! We live in a world that does not know how to love God or neighbor, and we see all around us the result of that way of life.
To be a peacemaker, we must handle contentious people and situations with wisdom, using the keys found in God's word. Love is the foundation of peace. Without real love towards others, we cannot even begin to practice the way to peace. Real peace does not come through a truce or a treaty; real peace is the result of love.
Peace starts with each of us individually— not with others. We cannot change other people; we can only change ourselves. Such change is not easy; sometimes it seems almost impossibly difficult. However, with God's help, we can put the keys to peace into practice in our own lives. Remember, in order to teach others the way of peace in Tomorrow's World, we must first learn and practice it in our own lives, right now, regardless of what others around us are doing.
God promises blessings for obedience. Throughout history, human beings have wanted peace but have not wanted to obey God. People have sought the blessing of peace without realizing that God has established spiritual laws for obtaining it—laws that are just as certain as the physical laws with which we are all familiar. We all recognize the law of gravity. Objects heavier than air always fall to earth. God's spiritual laws also bring predictable results, yielding long-term peace and happiness when they are obeyed. When God's laws are disregarded, long-term peace and happiness will never result.
The world does not know the way to peace, because it has rejected the only sourcebook that explains the way to peace. If you want to know what a word means, you look up its definition in a dictionary. If you want to know how to achieve love or peace or happiness, the answer is in the Bible—God's word. Society has rejected God's word, and is reaping the consequences.
At the Feast, we not only learn more about God's word; we also anticipate the soon-coming time when "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). Imagine what the world will be like then, filled with people living God's way of life, experiencing peace and prosperity. At the Feast, we gain a small taste of what lies ahead. This should encourage and motivate us as we prepare for the glorious future that lies ahead, when we as the firstfruits will serve as peacemakers. As Christ promised, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).