The Peace Maker

I just finished reading the Peace Maker by Ken Sande. I would whole heartedly recommend this book. Let me temp you with a couple of quotes:

It is important to realize that if you do not glorify god when you are
involved in a conflict, you will inevitable glorify someone or something else.
By your actions you will show either that you have a big God or big self and big
problems.

The more you understand God’s love and power, the easier it is to trust him. And
the more you trust him the easier it is to do his will. This is especially true
when you are involved in conflict. If you believe that God is watching over you
with perfect love and unlimited power, you will be able to serve him faithfully
as a peacemaker, eve in the most difficult circumstances.

The section on page 134-135 entitled You Can Change is worth the price of the book alone. And I would recommend that you get the Revised and Updated version as it is significantly more gospel focused. Look for the third edition published in 2004.

Sande makes the book very readable with the right balance of teaching and real-life stories. But it is also a practical text book on what to do and how to do it.

This will be a book that I will re-read, refer to often. I am planning to on purchasing 5 extra copies to give to friends. This is also a great reading project for a husband-and-wife, or for a parent-child. What a blessing to build these relationships on humble Biblical principals for conflict resolution.

One more reason I want you to purchase, read and apply this book. My last year leading a care group has opened my eyes regarding the area of conflict resolution. So many people (couples, parents, co-workers, friends) don’t know how to Biblically, systematically resolve conflict in their relationships. Therefore, they choose a different strategy. Usually this is avoidance and the conflict never gets resolved. Or they will get defensive or attack -- again these fundamental issues never get resolved. Then they grow, fester and eventually they gnaw on the core of the relationship. Honest, humble confect resolution is essential for any relationship that involves two sinners.

I guess that includes all of them.