Hi Everyone!

I thought it was time to write again and share a few things with you.

Recently I was doing some research on “conflict”. The down-to-earth truth is that if we live in this world we will have conflict with other people. The church is certainly not exempt from conflict.

In the New Testament it wasn’t long before wonderful unity and love gave way to instances of false pretences and lying (Acts 5), to serious conflict between two culturally distinct groups within the church (Acts 6), to theological contention (Galatians 2, Acts 15:1f), and to interpersonal disagreement (Acts 15:36f).  The first-century churches certainly had their fair share of disputes. They are spoken of in virtually every epistle. Paul’s remark to the Corinthian church is an example:  “I fear that there may be [among you] quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20, NIV).  

We may not be able to escape conflict but we can learn to handle it in a Biblical manner.

The A List Approach to managing conflict has some great advice.

• Address everyone involved with humility (Pr 28:13; 1 John 1:8)
• Avoid if, but, and maybe (don’t make excuses; Luke 15:11-24)
• Admit specifically (both attitude and actions)
• Apologise (express sorrow for the way you affected someone – even if you didn’t mean to do so.)
• Accept the consequences (Luke 19:1-9)
• Alter your behaviour (commit to changing harmful habits; Eph 4:22-32)
• Ask forgiveness

Wherever there is difference there will be an opportunity for conflict. The Lord wants us to take those opportunities to listen, learn and love.

To sum up, we need to work more on dealing with conflict in a godly manner rather than always trying to avoid it. We may think that the only way we can avoid conflict is to go a place where there are no other people. The problem is we will still be there and we will be dealing with our own inner conflicts.

Love never fails!

God bless you!

Richard