Conflict is Opportunity

My cousin Brian and I got into a fist fight on the bus. We were in third grade and Brian would not stop tickling me and punching him seemed like the most effective way to get him to stop. The bus driver pulled over, made us sit in the front seat and told us we would be reported. Our third grade minds concluded that we would end up spending time in the slammer. We were not sent to prison and we forgave each other the same afternoon. If only our adult conflicts could be resolved as quickly.

 Conflict shows up in your work, church, neighborhood and in your families. Conflict provides an opportunity for followers of Jesus Christ to respond in a way that is markedly different – living out the gospel in those critical moments when conflict and conviction collide. Peacemakers Ministries http://www.peacemaker.net offers the following principles for handling conflict:

Conflict is not necessarily bad or destructive. Even when conflict is caused by sin and causes a great deal of stress, God can use it for good (see Rom. 8:28-29). Conflict actually provides four significant opportunities. By God's grace, you can use conflict to:
1.       Glorify God – Ask: How can I please and honor God in this situation, and how can I give witness to what he has done for me through Christ?
2.       Get the log out of your eye – Ask: How have I contributed to this conflict and what do I need to do to resolve it?
3.       Gently restore – Ask: How can I help others to understand how they have contributed to this conflict?
4.       Go and be reconciled – Ask: How can I demonstrate forgiveness and encourage a reasonable solution to this conflict?

Whether you are a conflict aversive person who avoids conflict at all costs or conflict assertive and run towards conflict, applying these principles will change the way you address conflict.

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