Biblical Peacemaking With Peace Pursuit

In my many years of serving in church and on field teams, I’ve found that unresolved conflict is one of the main reasons that ministries become ineffective and fruitless.

Misunderstandings and disagreements that could be solved relatively easily are often left to fester. Our small relational wounds become infected with resentment, and instead of bringing them into the light to be treated, we hide or stuff them behind insincere smiles.

We know this isn’t right. But in our disappointment or anger, we don’t know what to do. We can’t see the next steps to take.

That’s where Peace Pursuit comes in.

It’s a model of conflict resolution that brings us back to the Word and gives practical guidance on how to obey the biblical imperative to “pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” (Romans 14:19)

Peace Pursuit “has helped our peacemaking conversations go smoother and calmer than before.” – a worker in the Middle East

Just recently, I was hurt and angered by something a colleague on the other side of the world had done. Based on many years of experience in peacemaking, I’ve learned to be wary of where my own heart might lead me. I knew that I needed to stop and meet with God before doing anything else. This is the first step in the Peace Pursuit model of biblical peacemaking.

The Peace Pursuit materials helped me analyze and evaluate the situation, pray, remove the logs from my own eye, and forgive my colleague before ever approaching him. In the end, we did meet and were able to prevent our conflict from worsening.

Peace Pursuit materials like this quick start guide are used by Frontiers teams all over the world and have been translated into many languages. They’ve recently been gathered into a great handbook for those who aspire to go deeper in their role as peacemakers.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). I think about this promise almost every day. Please join me in pursuing that blessing.