133 Blessed Are the Peacemakers: The Slippery Slope of Conflict
While conflicts take place on a larger, collective scale, the bigger issue for most of us is the conflicts that take place on a smaller scale. Personal conflicts between work associates, friends, or even families.
As long as we have people, we will have differences. As long as we have differences, we will have tension. As long as we have tension, we will have collisions. As long as we have collisions, we will have conflict.
Jesus’ brother James points out in his letter that we don’t get what we want and that leads to “fights and quarrels.”
There are three basic ways that people respond to conflict.
Typically whenever conflict occurs, the natural response is either “fight” or “flight”. So on one side of the slope we have ESCAPE RESPONSES, and on the other ATTACK RESPONSES. Each response has three stages.
ESCAPE RESPONSES
1. Denial: “Problem? What problem?”
2. Withdrawal: Running away from the problem either physically or emotionally.
3. Suicide: The ultimate escape when hope is lost.
ATTACK RESPONSES
1. Assault: The use of force or intimidation whether through verbal, physical, or emotional abuse.
2. Litigation: You take them to court. A divorce, a lawsuit.
3. Murder: In extreme cases, people may be so desperate to win a dispute that they will actually seek to murder those who oppose them.
If ESCAPE and ATTACK are the two death-dealing responses, are there any other options?
The good news is, “Yes.” We can opt for PEACEMAKING RESPONSES.
PEACEMAKING RESPONSES
1. Overlook: Let it go. Proverbs 19:11 says, “..it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”
2. Reconciliation: Taking the steps of confession, forgiveness, and then going to the person to make thigs right.
3. Mediation: If the previous step still doesn’t resolve things, the biblical next step is to allow wise, impartial people to help.
Text: James 4:1-2; various
Originally recorded on August 25, 2013, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.