Written by Ken Sande, a contemporary author and founder of Peacemaker Ministries. This is an excerpt from his book “The Peacemaker.”
It is important to realize that if you do not glorify God when you are involved in a conflict, you will inevitably glorify someone or something else. By your actions, you show either that you have a big God or that you have a big self and big problems. To put it another way, if you do not focus on God, you will inevitably focus on yourself and your will, or on other people and the threat of their will. One of the best ways to keep your focus on the Lord is to continually ask yourself these questions: How can I please and honor God in this situation? In particular, how can I bring praise to Jesus by showing that he has saved me and is changing me? Seeking to please and honor God is a powerful compass for life, especially when we are faced with difficult challenges…When displaying the riches of God’s love and pleasing him is more important than holding onto worldy things and pleasing yourself, it becomes increasingly natural to respond to conflict graciously, wisely, and with self control. This approach brings glory to God and sets the stage for effective peacemaking.
Prayer:
Written by John Birch, a contemporary writer and poet from the United Kingdom, who has written several books of prayers and studies Celtic prayer. He created the Faith and Worship website to provide prayer resources for worship.
Lord of heaven and earth,
of all nations and peoples,
all faiths and no faith,
reveal yourself
to those who are suffering,
reveal yourself
to all who are refugees,
reveal yourself
to those who are powerful,
reveal yourself
to all who are powerless,
reveal yourself
to ordinary people
in their everyday lives,
that this world
might reflect your love
and your glory. Amen.
Pathways Press.com 