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One of the ways you instill hope is that you actually have hope.

September 24, 2014 /

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Oh! I am a blessed woman. Just listen to some of the reminders I heard today at The Peacemaker Conference advanced training events:

  • “I finished four years of Bible college and three years of seminary and never once had a class on conflict resolution. But most leaders (church) and managers (business) spend one-third or more of their time dealing with conflict, but that’s never on the job description, is it? But this is where we live.”
  • “As peacemakers, we have encounters with God and God’s Truth. I enjoy helping in this way so much because God is always faithful.”
  • “Everything takes on a different flavor and a different intensity in the marital relationship.”
  • “HOPE IS NOT ROOTED IN: good intentions; behavior change alone; the skill of a counselor; guilt over past offenses; acting in the best interest of the children; marriage books or seminars …”
  • “Remind the parties of the progress they have already experienced!” “Do you realize you are not the same person you were when I met you?”
  • “Affirm the parties’ first step in seeking help. People often don’t see that they HAVE taken a first step and they are to be commended.”
  • “We’re going to put all the issues on the table. All of them. We’re not going to be afraid of being ungodly or politically incorrect. We are going there. We are going to address all of the messiest issues because God is big enough and God’s Word is big enough. He gives us the resources we need and we are going there.”
  • (And my favorite one of the day by far …) “One of the ways you instill hope is that you actually have hope.”
  • “Tell them: You are not alone. God has provided people to help you. You are not alone and you will not be alone.”
  • “Grief is a doorway to the healing power of God in a time of loss. Grief actually enhances and honors the magnitude of the loss.”

 
It’s not too late to join us in Colorado Springs! Or if that just doesn’t work for you timing-wise / geographically-wise, I will also be LiveBlogging the first three keynotes.

Oh! I have to close with just one more:

“We must help the parties to believe God’s Word is true–specifically that God loves His children. Poll any group of committed Christians. Ask them if they really, truly, deeply believe that God loves them. Ask Christians who are in conflict; Christians who are divorcing–do you truly believe that God loves you? When I ask that question, inevitably more than half say NO.

We get to help them silence those voices of shame and believe, truly believe, that God is for them because God loves them. That does not happen when we give them a Bible verse; that happens as we journey with them.“

Mmmmmmm. Thank You, Lord, for Peacemaker Ministries.