In our world, conflict is often viewed as a chance to gain the upper hand; an excuse to avoid someone; a golden opportunity to sue for damages; an open door to put down an enemy. Rarely do you hear anyone say that conflict is an opportunity to glorify God. Even in the church, this attitude is not as prevalent as one would hope for a group led by the Prince of peace. Despite the high costs of unresolved conflict all around us, we often feel helpless in the face of group or interpersonal conflicts.

I’ll never forget the first time I really pondered the verse, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Sons of God. Sons of God! Which of you reading this doesn’t want to be called a child of God, to be identifed with Him, blessed by Him, clearly known as His follower? Then make peacemaking your aim.

In this regard, I see peacemaking in the same category as evangelism. You won’t find a Christian taking a stand against either, and everyone applauds those who do them; but there is a sense that these must be specialized fruit of the Spirit that only a small percentage of believers can apply on a weekly basis. The rest of us feel guilty, but we really don’t know where to begin—and so we often put off beginning.

Leaders of the church need to step up and lead in these areas. On their own, leaders are underprepared too. Well over a decade ago, the RPCNA Synod made a rare move by hosting a seminar within the confines of its official, corporate work. That seminar was on peacemaking and was hosted by Peacemaker Minstries. Through that seminar, Jonathan Parnell learned about this biblical, well-structured peacemaking training, and he went on to be a trained Christian conciliator. God has used him in working in nearly a third of all RP congregations in which two or more members sought to resolve deep-seated conflicts in a way that honored God and would be a witness to others.

While this is but one example, and while peacemaking takes many informal as well as formal routes, I am glad to be a part of a denomination that took these steps. Peacemaking is, as I said, much like evangelism. And when leaders help people understand and apply the biblical truths—setting the example in their lives and bringing members alongside to learn—then peacemaking and evangelism are unleashed in the church.

If you’re looking for one practical way to apply this point, I’d recommend The Young Peacemaker, a course for young children that I used in homeschooling but that could be easily used in a Sunday school class or Christian school. If we train our children well, they will begin to see, while very young, that every conflict God brings into their lives is an opportunity to glorify Him.

“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.…Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace” (Col. 3:12-15).