Small steps in faith

Monday, December 27, 2004

Dealing with Conflict

When I read this it pretty much smacked me in the face because this is definitely something I struggle with I hate conflict and alot of times will avoid it until I have no choice but to deal with the situation I've dealt with this alot in the last 6 months and sometimes I've had to learn the hard way how to deal with conflict but with God's help I'm doing a better job with confrontation Avoiding a situation is one of the worst things you can do for yourself as well as the other person It destroys relationships



Blessed are those who work for peace, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

"I will opt for peace at any price, which usually means, if I know a conflict exists in a particular area, I will avoid the subject altogether. Or if I am in conflict with a certain person, I will avoid them altogether. This is not being a peacemaker. It’s being a coward. A peacemaker works for peace and by avoiding conflict I am saying I am not willing to put forth the effort necessary to face into a problem, I am too afraid to face into it or I don’t care enough for the other person to want to seek peace. Do I care enough for myself to want to live in peace instead of conflict and denial?
Think about where there is conflict in your life and ask God to show you how you can make peace. It’s true that a relationship is made up of two people, and if there is a conflict, both have to want to make peace in order to achieve it. We can’t change the other person, but we can do our part to create the environment for reconciliation.
If there is a chasm in a relationship, you may have to reach all the way across to establish peace, but won’t it be worth it? God didn’t stay on His throne of righteousness, but reached all the way through the cross to bridge the chasm to us. Halfway is probably not far enough
Peace is never found in walking away from our fears, but in walking into them"

1 Comments:

  • At 10:16 AM, Blogger Unknown said…

    Sometimes it feels like its impossible to achieve peace with others. Being a christian I think gives you alot more tolerance and patience for people who get on your nerves. :)

     

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