Day 758 – Blessed Are the Peacemakers – Ask Gramps

Wisdom-Trek

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy Welcome to Day 758 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Blessed Are the Peacemakers - Ask Gramps Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 758 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series. Each Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time where we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas. We will address areas such as finances, relationships, health/fitness, business/work, home repairs/renovations, seasons of life, spiritual/Biblical questions, and any other areas that come our way. As your fellow sojourner and mentor on this trek that we call life, it is my goal to provide you with practical wisdom and advice about any area of life. It is crucial that I receive a constant flow of questions, so please submit your questions to [e-mail]. And I will answer your questions on our Friday podcast. We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. During the holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, there are many opportunities for getting together with family, friends, and associates. During those gatherings there are usually conversations that come up that you may not agree with whether it is politics, raising kids, religion, or a myriad of other topics. So the question for today is: Hey Gramps, “How can I avoid getting involved with conversations that may cause conflict when I get together with others?” Blessed are the Peacemakers When you are either hosting or attending gatherings and parties during this festive Christmas and New Year’s season, your focus should be to enjoy the food, fun, and fellowship with others. Realize though there is always a potential for topics and conversations to come up that can cause tension and disagreements. You must understand that everyone has an opinion about every topic, and opinions are like armpits…Everyone has at least two, and if they are not maintained, they usually stink, including yourself. That being understood, you need to comprehend that for an argument or conflict to proceed you are choosing to be an active participant. You do not need to air your opinion, regardless of how “wrong” another person may appear to be. We are told in Proverbs 17:14, "Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out." Also understand that you do not have to be right about everything, or as a matter of fact, anything. Be willing to keep your mouth closed, even when you are burning with the desire to reply or retort. You probably will not change another person’s strong opinion about the topic, and even if they do concede, the old adage will probably apply, “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.” Office parties and family gatherings are also a hotbed for gossip about others. Four short words…Just don’t do it! As we are told in Proverbs 26:20, “Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.” If the people you are with talk about others behind their back, they are doing the same about you. If you participate, you are just as prone to gossip about them. It is never wise, kind or loving to gossip. Enjoy your family, friends, and office gatherings and parties, but instead of risking any sort of conflict, determine to be a peacemaker this holiday season. I will leave you with two verses in response to this question.