by Krista
Last week, I was talking to some friends of ours who work with us in member care. When we asked how they were doing, they told us, “Well, we’ve been wearing out that Peacemaker book you recommended!” I was glad and sad at the same time. It seems we always have some area in our lives that lacks peace and the often spills into conflicts with others. Today we take a tiny glimpse at that attribute of God, but it’s something that we will spend a lifetime (and beyond) studying.
Also known as order, this attribute characterizes the actions of our holy God (Rom. 15:33, 2 Cor. 13:11, Phil. 4:9). When our lives are out of order, it is evidence that God is not reigning supreme because He is a God of order, not confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Believers are instructed to have peace with God (Col. 1:19-20), peace with others (Rom.12:18) and peace within ourselves (Isa. 26:3). Jesus called the peacemakers “sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). The counselor must work hard to help a counselee see the ways he deals with conflict in ways that do not glorify God and help him to become a true peacemaker.
And if you’re interested in that book that we’re wearing out here, check out Ken Sande’s The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict. Peacemaker Ministries also has some excellent resources on their site for dealing with all sorts of conflicts.