As a person reconciled to God by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I believe that I am called to respond to conflict in a way that is remarkably different from the way the world deals with conflict.1 I also believe that conflict provides opportunities to glorify God, serve other people, and grow to be like Christ.2 Therefore, in response to God's love and in reliance on His grace, I commit myself to respond to conflict according to the following principles:
I Pledge To:
- Serve the Lord with all my heart and soul.
- Abide by integrity in business and to make my business a place of integrity
- Be honest and follow business according to God's word
- Promote honesty at all times
- Treat others as I would like to be treated
- Create superior quality in my business thorough the products and services I provide
- Never promote products, materials and/or services that advertise any illegal activities, pornographic or sexually suggestive content, gaming or contending faiths
- Act with compassion and patience with those who disagree with me and to seek Godly council for resolution before seeking legal counsel
- Respect one another's differences and opinions with dignity and kindness
- Treat my competitors with the same kindness and care I want from them, realizing it is better to become allies than enemies
- Act at all times as one who is Christ-like to my employees, patrons, partners, clients and customers
I Also Commit To:
- Glorify God. Instead of focusing on my own desires or dwelling on what others may do, I will seek to please and honor God by; depending on His wisdom, power, and love; by faithfully obeying His commands; and by seeking to maintain a loving, merciful, and forgiving attitude.3
- Get the log out of my own eye. Instead of attacking others or dwelling on their wrongs, I will take responsibility for my own contribution to conflicts, confessing my sins, asking God to help me change any attitudes and habits that lead to conflict, and seeking to repair any harm I have caused.4
- Gently Restore. Instead of pretending that conflict doesn't exist or talking about others behind their backs, I will choose to overlook minor offenses, or I will talk directly and graciously with those whose offenses seem too serious to overlook. When a conflict with another Christian cannot be resolved in private, I will ask others in the body of Christ to help us settle the matter in a biblical manner.5
- Go and be reconciled. Instead of accepting premature compromise or allowing relationships to wither, I will actively pursue genuine peace and reconciliation—forgiving others as God has forgiven us, and seeking just and mutually beneficial solutions to our differences.6
- Dispute Resolution. I fully commit to working with others and agree to communicate with others at all times so as to avoid or minimize disputes or disagreements. If disputes or disagreements do arise, I commit to resolving such disputes or disagreements in an amicable, professional and expeditious manner so as to avoid unnecessary losses, delays and disruptions. I commit to adhere to the following biblical dispute resolution principles:
- Overlook an offense. Where an offense is minor, one person deliberately and unilaterally decides to forgive the wrong and walks away from the conflict.
- Dealing with an offense. Contact the parties involved directly. Personal offenses that are too serious to overlook should be resolved through confession or loving confrontation, leading to forgiveness and reconciliation.
- Resolution of an offense. Resolve an offense pertaining to an issue of money, property, or other rights by first using a non-sanctioned mediator from the Institute for Christian Conciliation (ICC) to reach a mutually agreeable settlement through an exchange of promises that are fair and acceptable to all parties involved. The parties agree that any claim, dispute and/or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or breach which has not been resolved by a non-sanctioned ICC sanctioned mediator, shall be submitted to biblically-based binding arbitration administered in accordance with the Rules of Procedure for Christian Conciliation of the Institute for Christian Conciliation (ICC), a division of Peacemaker Ministries. Judgment upon any arbitration decision may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. The Parties agree to waive their respective rights to trial by jury.
I agree to incorporate the above Dispute Resolution process and contract language into agreements I have with my clients, customers and vendors.
By God's grace, I will apply these principles as a matter of stewardship, realizing that conflict is an opportunity, not an accident. I will remember that success, in God's eyes, is not a matter of specific results but of faithful, dependent obedience. And I will pray that my service as a peacemaker brings praise to our Lord and leads others to know His infinite love.7
- Luke 6:27-36; Gal. 5:19-26; Matt. 5:9
- 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1; Rom. 8:28-29; James 1:2-4
- 1 Cor. 10:31; James 4:1-3; Psalm 37:1-6; Phil. 4:2-9; Col. 3:1-4; 1 Peter 2:12; John 14:15; James 3:17-18; Rom. 12:17-21; Mark 11:25
- Matt. 7:3-5; 1 John 1:8-9; Prov 28:13; Col. 3:5-14; Luke 19:8
- Matt. 18:15-20; James 5:9; Prov. 19:11; Gal. 6:1-2; Eph. 4:29; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; 1 Cor. 6:1-8
- Matt. 5:23-24; Matt. 6:12; Eph. 4:1-3, 32; Matt. 7:12; Phil. 2:3-4
- Matt. 25:14-21; 1 Peter 2:19, 4:19; Rom. 12:18; John 13:34-35
Adapted from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande (1997).
