Be the First-Stepper

“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

The blessed life is not merely being fortunate or successful; it is a life approved by God. That is the heartbeat of the Beatitudes. Jesus is not handing us slogans; He is describing what the children of God actually look like as His work takes root within. We move up the staircase of the Beatitudes from how we interact with God to how we interact with one another. The seventh Beatitude is not, “Blessed are the peace-lovers,” or “Blessed are the peacekeepers,” but “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

The single word "makers" matters. You can love peace and never engage in a difficult conversation. You can keep the peace by avoiding any risk. But a peacemaker initiates. A peacemaker is a bridge builder. A peacemaker is willing to go first.

I once heard about a phrase/tradition in Scotland for the one who is first to say “Happy New Year” to friends and neighbors, known as the "first stepper". However, the closest thing I've been able to research is known as "first footing,"¹ which refers to the person who is the first to enter someone's home after midnight on New Year's Day. Either way, it reflects an initiation on someone's part to "step across the line". It’s a simple picture, but it captures what Jesus is calling us to be in this Beatitude. In moments of distance, offense, or misunderstanding, the peacemaker is the first stepper—the one who reaches across the aisle, initiates the conversation, and refuses to let the gap widen.

Our natural instinct, of course, veers in a different direction. We would rather retaliate than reconcile. I heard about a soldier serving overseas who carried with him a beautiful photograph of the girl he loved back home. One day, he received a sad letter: she was marrying someone else and wanted the picture returned so she could use it to announce the wedding.

Heartbroken and stunned, he and his friends had an idea. He gathered photographs from his comrades—their wives, fiancées, and girlfriends—and filled a box with that stack of women's pictures, mailing it back with a note: “I just can't remember which one you are! Please pick yourself out." Something in our human nature causes us to smile and nod with approval. It may feel good to strike back, but that is not the way of a child of God. Children of God don’t torch bridges; they build them. They don’t nurse grudges; they pursue reconciliation.

Jesus adds this encouragement: “They shall be called sons of God.” Jesus is saying peacemakers take after their Heavenly Father. The world looks at them and recognizes the family resemblance. Why? Because God is the ultimate first stepper. “While we were [His enemies], Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He did not wait for us to make the first move; He moved toward us in love. And the same love that put Jesus on the cross has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). If that love lives in us, then initiating peace will not be a theory—it will become a way of life.

So, what does this look like in practice? It is more than “trying to get along.” It means entering the hard places where there is real conflict and saying, “By God’s grace, I will take the first step.” It means making the call, sending the text, and requesting the meeting. It means apologizing without demanding an apology in return. It means choosing reconciliation over retaliation, even when your flesh urges the opposite. It means doing what reflects your Father, because you belong to Him.

This is the blessed life—the life God approves. Not the easy life, but the life that looks like the Father’s heart. And when we step first toward peace, the world takes notice: those are the sons and daughters of God.

Reflection Question: Where is God asking you to be the first stepper today? What specific conversation, message, or act of humility will build a bridge instead of burn one?

Dear God, I want to live a life that You approve. Shape my heart to reflect Yours. Give me courage to be the first stepper, wisdom to reach across the aisle, and grace to choose reconciliation over retaliation. Make me a true peacemaker who builds bridges that honor You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Adapted from "Becoming a Bridge-Builder": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/5dw2p8w/7-become-a-bridge-builder

¹ "First-footing refers to the first person to cross the threshold after midnight on New Year's Day. The first-footer must not have already crossed the threshold before midnight, meaning they must either be a brand new visitor to the house, or have left the building before the strike of midnight and come back in after. Gifts are given as a token of luck for the coming year." See: https://folklorescotland.com/a-coal-for-the-hearth-at-hogmanay/#:~:text=Scotland's first-footing Tradition,were thought to be unlucky.