Video Transcript: God Is at Work Without Calling Harm Good

3A — God Is at Work Without Calling Harm Good

Hi, I am Haley Steiner, a CLI presenter. This course is taught by Professor Brian DeCook.

In this topic, we are learning how to recognize the Lord’s purpose in conflict without minimizing pain, excusing sin, or rushing people into shallow answers.

A Peacefire Ministry Practice begins with a deep Christian conviction: God is at work. Conflict does not surprise the Lord. He sees what happened. He sees what was said. He sees what was hidden. He sees the fear, anger, sorrow, pride, confusion, and longing underneath the surface.

But this conviction must be handled carefully.

Saying “God is at work” does not mean we call harm good. We do not call abuse good. We do not call betrayal good. We do not call manipulation, intimidation, cruelty, gossip, or injustice good. Peacefire Ministry never uses God’s sovereignty to excuse another person’s sin or to silence someone’s pain.

The Bible gives us a better way.

Joseph could say to his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” That statement did not erase the evil. It named it truthfully. His brothers had done wrong. Joseph had suffered. Yet God was still working redemptively.

The cross of Jesus Christ shows this even more clearly. Human beings committed injustice against the Son of God. Yet through the death and resurrection of Christ, God brought redemption. The evil was still evil. The suffering was still real. But God’s saving purpose was stronger than human sin.

This matters deeply in Peacefire Ministry.

When someone comes to a Peacefire Coach Minister, they may want an immediate answer. They may ask, “Why did God let this happen?” They may ask, “What should I do now?” They may want you to tell them who is right, who is wrong, and how everything should turn out.

Your first calling is not to explain everything. Your first calling is to help them return to Christ.

That may sound like this: “I am sorry this is happening. I do not want to minimize it. Let’s slow down before God and ask what He may be showing you and what your next faithful step might be.”

A Peacefire question is not, “How can we make this pain disappear quickly?” A Peacefire question is, “Lord Jesus, where are You present, what truth must be faced, what responsibility belongs to this person, what does not belong to this person, and what faithful step is next?”

Sometimes God’s purpose includes confession. Sometimes it includes courage. Sometimes it includes lament. Sometimes it includes boundaries. Sometimes it includes repentance. Sometimes it includes a referral, a report, or protection from danger.

Peacefire Ministry does not force a happy interpretation onto a painful story. It brings the painful story honestly into the presence of Christ.

That is where faithful conflict ministry begins.