Conflict Provides Opportunities

This evening we are starting a new Bible study series that I am calling, “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” Just recently, I was talking with my father-in-law and he reminded me of the time when he taught a very similar series in our church in Leesburg. As we were talking, I thought this would be a good time for us to take a break from our doctrinal studies and do the same study. As we know, one of the beatitudes in the Sermon on Mount says...

Matthew 5:9 KJV 1900

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

It is quite obvious from Scripture that God expects of each of His children to have certain godly characteristics. None is more obvious than the fact we are to be peacemakers. Unfortunately, too many people, believers includes, are more often peace-fakers and peace-breakers rather than peacemakers. My prayer is that when we are done with this study that all of us commit to being the peacemakers God desires us to be.

Let’s start with this discussion question. Whenever we see someone mistreat or oppose another person, what instinctive reactions do most people have to those who mistreated or opposed them?

Wait for proper responses from people in the room.

I believe, due to our sin nature, our instinctive reaction is either justify ourselves or simply just get out of the way. Unfortunately, both are sinful reactions either way and often lead to impulsive decisions that only make matters worse. In other words, we either give flight or engage with a fight. Giving flight only delays the issue seeking to ignore it and hoping that it will go away. Which, by the way, it never does. Fighting only escalates matters sometimes to very dangereous levels.

The Downward Spiral of Neglecting or Refusing God’s Way

The best way to demonstrate this is a downward spiral.

This is how it works. When we neglect or refuse to live God’s way in our life and we choose to follow what we think is the path of least resistance (a path dictated by our feelings and desires or what we think is good for that moment), we place ourselves on a path that is headed for defeat and ruin. Note a couple of key Scripture passages for this point.

Psalm 1:4–6 KJV 1900

4 The ungodly are not so: But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Proverbs 1:22–32 KJV 1900

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, And your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30 They would none of my counsel: They despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

Proverbs 16:25 KJV 1900

25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.

Galatians 5:17 KJV 1900

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Place the slide with the downward spiral and the different levels on the screen.

Note that slide I have up on the screen. You will see three different levels that is often mentioned in Scripture. Everything starts with the heart. All of our problems are rooted in our sinful hearts. Christ taught this often during His earthly ministry.

Matthew 15:18–19 KJV 1900

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Mark 7:20–23 KJV 1900

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

His teaching is also supported by the Old Testament especially with verses such as Jeremiah 17:9-10

Jeremiah 17:9–10 KJV 1900

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

As noted, whatever is in the heart is going to come out in some form or fashion. We call these unbiblical deeds. Unbiblical deed includes sinful thoughts, words, and actions. Romans 1:18-32 is a great description of how this works. Sinful men with sinful hearts will always do sinful things.

Ok, so we have two of the three levels. We have the heart level which is buried deep within us. We have doing level which is revealed through our actions. However, there is a third which is the feelings level. Anytime we act sinfully from a sinful heart we are going to feel the effects. Here is the greatest example I know of from Scripture. In fact, this example takes place right after the fall of men in the Garden of Ede demonstrating the true heart of sinful men and women.

Over in Genesis 4, we have the story of Cain and Abel. Now it is important to note that these two men were the very first humans born into this world. Adam and Eve have rebelled and sinned against God. God has judged them kicking them out of the Garden and barring them from the tree of life. Into the world comes Cain and then Abel. Later, God requires both of them to prepare a sacrifice for Him testing their faith in Him. As we know, Abel made the correct sacrifice demonstrating his love for God. God was pleased and accepted Abel’s sacrifice. Cain, on the other hand, decided he would do the sacrifice his way instead of God’s way. This, in turn, led to God rejecting Cain’s sacrifice. Cain’s sinful heart refused to do things God’s way. Now, due to God’s rejection, Cain is feeling bad. He feels God’s rejection. His feelings are hurt. He becomes jealous of Abel. Eventually, his sinful thoughts and sinful actions result in more sinful actions. He murders his brother in a fit of jealousy and rage. Did you see the downward spiral there? His sinful heart caused him to take sinful actions leading sinful feelings. All of this happened because he refused and ignored what God expected of Him. When it comes to handling conflict, we all take the same path. It is the reason that Christ said we are “condemned already.” His statement has a twofold implication. We are already condemned to live according to our sin nature. Additionally, we already condemned to live eternally separate from God with that nature for all of eternity.

Now, all that seems hopeless and, frankly, it is. However, the good news is Christ. He provide us a way out of this downward spiral. It is the reason why salvation is so important. Christ coming and paying for our sin is the way of escape from our sinful and hopeless condition. When we accept all that Christ has done along with our acknowledgement of our sin, our self-absorption is replaced with a liberating desire to please Christ and draw attention to His goodness and power. This is noted in Colossians 3:1-2

Colossians 3:1–2 KJV 1900

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

This then becomes the key to unlocking conflict. When we focus on Christ and seek to do things His way we can break free of our sinful nature and resolve conflict constructively. Remembering His mercy and drawing upon His strength enables us to see things clearly and respond to conflict wisely. Through Christ, we can find better solutions to our problems. A wonderful by-product to doing so is that others see in us a God who delights in helping us do things we could never do on our own.

Now, our ultimate goal as believers is summed up in a story Christ told concerning a steward and his master.

Matthew 25:21 KJV 1900

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

That is our goal. A true believer longs for the day when he or she stands before Christ and He says, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant!” To be that good and faithful servant, we must learn to love others even as we love ourselves which means we must learn to handle conflict His way.

As for conflict, people see conflict in one of two ways. For some, conflict is a hazard that threatens to sweep them off their feet and leave them bruised and hurting. For others, conflict is an obstacle that they need to conquer quickly and firmly regardless of the consequences. However, as we are going to discover, God wants us, as His children, to learn that conflict is an opportunity to solve problems His way so that He is honored and others benefit. This latter view can transform the way you respond to conflict if you will have an open heart to doing this God’s way and embrace His way of responding to conflict.

So, here is the first thing to consider as you become the peacemaker God wants you to be.

The Slippery Slope of Conflict

Show the slide with the Slipper Slope of Conflict diagram

There are three basic ways that people respond to conflict. These responses may be arranged on a curve that resembles a hill. On the left slope of the hill we find the escape responses to conflict. On the right side are the attack responses. And in the center, we find the peacemaking responses.

Imagine that this hill is covered with ice. If you go too far to the left or right, you can lose footing and slide down the slope. Similarly, when you experience conflict, it is easy to become defensive or antagonistic. Both responses make matters worse and can lead to more extreme reactions.

If you want to stay on top of this slippery slope, you need to do two things. First, ask God to help you resist the natural inclination to escape or attack when faced with conflict. Second, ask him to help you develop the ability to live out the gospel by using the peacemaking response that is best suited to resolving a particular conflict. Let’s look at each of these responses in detail.

Escape Responses

Show the slides with the Escape Reponses

The three responses found on the left side of the slippery slope are called the escape responses. People tend to use these responses when they are more interested in avoiding the conflict than in resolving it. This attitude is common within the church, because many Christians believe that all conflict is wrong or dangerous. Thinking that Christians should always agree, or fearing that conflict will inevitably damage relationships, these people usually do one of three things to escape from conflict.

Denial

One way to escape from a conflict is to pretend that it does not exist. Or, if we cannot deny that the problem exists, we simply refuse to do what should be done to resolve a conflict properly. These responses bring only temporary relief and usually make matters worse (see Gen 16:1-6; 1 Sam 2:22-25).

We see examples of this in Genesis and 1 Samuel.

Genesis 16:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. 6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Now consider Sarah’s situation for a moment. God has promised to both Abraham and Sarah a male child, an heir. It was already decided by God and promised by Him. The only issue was this. Both of them, Abraham and Sarah, were well passed child bearing years. You might recall Sarah’s initial reaction when God announced that they would have child. She laughed. Now, in this part of her story, Sarah has decided to take matters into her own hands instead of trusting God. Already, she is on the downward spiral. She now take sinful actions. She suggests that her husband commit adultery (let’s call it the way it is) with her handmaid. Abraham, at this moment, is also caught up in doing things his way for he agrees instead of being a spiritual leader. He does as she suggests and, behold, a baby is conceived. Now, things only get worse. Conflict arises between Sarah and Hagar. Sarah doesn’t handle the situation well and make life for Hagar miserable. What was Hagar reaction to this conflict? She flees. She runs away. And, by the way, fleeing from Sarah did not help the situation. It only made things worse in the sense that soon she finds herself without food, water, and lodging and is ready to give up and die.

1 Samuel 2:22–25 KJV 1900

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

This next example shows Eli’s sons ignoring the problem they had caused. They dealt with the conflict by not hearkening to Eli’s counsel.

Denial, escaping the conflict or pretending it does not exist, is one way people seek to handle conflict and is not God’s way.

Here is another.

Flight

Another way to escape from a conflict is to run away. This may include leaving the house, ending a friendship, quitting a job, filing for divorce, or changing churches. In most cases, running away only postpones a proper solution to a problem. Remember the example of Hagar.

Genesis 16:6–8 KJV 1900

6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. 7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

Flight is usually a harmful way to deal with a conflict. Of course, there may be times when it is appropriate to respectfully withdraw from a confusing or emotional situation temporarily to calm down, organize your thoughts, and pray. Flight may also be a legitimate response in seriously threatening circumstances such as cases of physical or sexual abuse.

1 Samuel 19:9–10 KJV 1900

9 And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. 10 And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

If a family is involved in such a situation, however, every reasonable effort should still be made to find trustworthy assistance and come back to seek a lasting solution to the problem.

This last response is often happens with all hope is lost and a person feels they have no other alternative.

Suicide

When people lose all hope of resolving a conflict, they may seek to escape the situation (or make a desperate cry for help) by attempting to take their own life.

1 Samuel 31:4 KJV 1900

4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

Suicide is never the right way to deal with conflict. Tragically, however, suicide has become the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States, partly because so many children have never learned how to deal with conflict constructively.

Now, here is something to understand about the escape responses. People who take this slippery slope are known as peacefakers. They are not truly interested in peacemaking even though they pretend they want peace. They will often say things like, “I would much rather just walk away so that there is peace rather than stay and cause things to escalate.” That is known as a cop out. If they truly wanted to make peace, then they would stay and handle the conflict God’s way. Instead, they would much rather run from their problems than be courageous in confronting the problem.

Attack Responses

“The three responses found on the right side of the slipper slope are called the attack responses. These responses are used by people who are more interested in winning a conflict than in preserving a relationship. This attitude is seen in people who view conflict as a contest or a chance to assert their rights, to control others, or to take advantage of their situation. Attack responses are typically used by people who are strong and self-confident. But they may also be used by those who feel weak, fearful, insecure, or vulnerable. Whatever the motive, these responses are directed at bringing as much pressure to bear on opponents as is necessary to eliminate their opposition.”

Assault

“Some people try to overcome an opponent by using various forms of force or intimidation, such as verbal attacks (including gossip and slander), physical violence, or efforts to damage a person financially or professionally (see Acts 6:8-15). Such conduct always makes conflicts worse.”

Litigation

“Another way to force people to bend to our will is to take them to court. Although some conflicts may legitimately be taken before a civil judge (see Acts 24:1-26:32; Rom 13:1-5), lawsuits usually damage relationships and often fail to achieve complete justice. When Christians are involved on both sides, their witness can be severely damaged. This is why Christians are commanded to settle their differences within the church rather than in the civil courts (1 Cor 6:1-8). Therefore, it is important to make every effort to settle a dispute out of court whenever possible (Matt 5:25-26).”

Murder

“In extreme cases, people may be so desperate to win a dispute that they will try to kill those who oppose them (see Acts 7:54-58). While most Christians would not actually kill someone, we should never forget that we stand guilty of murder in God’s eyes when we harbor anger or contempt in our hearts towards others (see 1 John 3:15; Matt 5:21-22).”

“There are two ways that people move into the attack zone. Some resort to an attack response the minute they encounter a conflict. Others move into this zone after they have tried unsuccessfully to escape from a conflict. When they can no longer ignore, cover up, or run away from the problem, they go to the other extreme and attack those who oppose them.”

Peacemaking Responses

“The six responses found on the top portion of the slipper slope are called the peacemaking responses. These responses are commanded by God, empowered by the gospel, and directed toward finding just and mutually agreeable solutions to conflict. Each of these responses will be discussed in detail in the following chapters, but for now we will do a brief overview.

The first three peacemaking responses may be referred to as “personal peacemaking” because they may be carried out personally or privately, just between you and the other party. The vast majority of conflicts in life should and can be resolved in one of these ways.”

Overlook an Offense

Many disputes are so insignificant that they should be resolved by quietly and deliberately overlooking an offense (Prov 19:11; see also 12:16; 17:14; Col 3:13; 1 Peter 4:8). Overlooking an offense is a form of forgiveness and involves a deliberate decision not to talk about it, dwell on it, or let it grow into pent-up bitterness or anger.”

Reconciliation

“If an offense is too serious to overlook or has damaged the relationship, we need to resolve personal or relational issues through confession, loving correction, and forgiveness (Matt 5:23-24; Prov 28:13; Gal 6:1; Matt 18:15; Col 3:13).”

Negotiation

“Even if we successfully resolve relational issues, we may still need to work through material issues related to money, property, or other rights. This should be done through a cooperative bargaining process in which you and the other person seek to reach a settlement that satisfies the legitimate needs of each side (Phil 2:4).”

“When a dispute cannot be resolved through one of the personal peacemaking responses, God calls us to use one of the next three peacemaking responses, referred to as “assisted peacemaking.” These responses require the involvement of other people from your church or Christian community.”

Mediation

“If two people cannot reach an agreement in private , they should ask one or more objective outside people to meet with them to help them communicate more effectively and explore possible solutions (Matt 18:16). These mediators may ask questions and give advice, but they have no authority to force you to accept a particular solution.”

Arbitration

“When you and an opponent cannot come to a voluntary agreement on a material issue, you may appoint one or more arbitrators to listen to your arguments and render a binding decision to settle the issue. In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, Paul indicates that this is how Christians ought to resolve even their legal conflicts with one another (1 Cor 6:4).”

Accountability

“If a person who professes to be a Christian refuses to be reconciled and do what is right, Jesus commands church leaders to formally intervene to hold him or her accountable to Scripture and to promote repentance, justice, and forgiveness (Matt 18:17). Direct church involvement is often viewed negatively among Christians today, but when it is done as Jesus instructs – lovingly, redemptively, and restoratively – it can be the key to saving relationships and bringing about justice and peace.”

A Biblical View of Conflict

“In His Word, God has explained why conflicts occur and how we should deal with them. The more we understand and obey what He teaches, the more effective we will be in resolving disagreements with other people. The following are a few of the basic principles behind a Biblical view of conflict.”

Conflict Defined

“Conflict is a difference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone’s goals or desires. This definition is broad enough to include innocuous variations in taste, such as one spouse wanting to vacation in the mountains while the other prefers the waterfront, as well as hostile arguments, such as fights, quarrels, lawsuits, or church divisions.”

Causes of Conflict Identified

There are four primary CAUSES of conflict.

Misunderstandings

Some disputes arise because of misunderstandings, resulting from poor communication. We see an example in Joshua 22 when the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh built an altar by the Jordan. The other tribes assumed they were building the altar to a false god, not Jehovah. Their assumption or misunderstanding almost resulted in a civil war shortly after taking Canaan. However, as they confronted and questioned these tribes, they realized that they were raising an altar as a testimony to them and their generations of how they were to worship God.

Differences

Conflict can also arise due to differences in values, goals, gifts, calling, priorities, expectations, interests, or opinions. The New Testament provides two good examples.

First, conflict arose between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark. John Mark, known as Mark, had abandoned Paul and Barnabas amid their first missionary journey. Now, as they were about to embark on their second journey, Mark wanted to travel with them again. However, Paul was against him coming. Barnabas was for him. Neither person was wrong; they just disagreed. Ultimately, God used their disagreement to form two teams of missionaries traveling. Later, God used John Mark to pen the Gospel of Mark.

A second example is found in 1 Corinthians 12. This is a local church example. In this passage, the Holy Spirit points out how different people are gifted within the local church. Not everyone has the same gifts or interests. Yet, God has uniquely brought all of us together with our different gifts so that we might be one body representing Him to those around us. Our uniqueness is designed to work together in our service to the Lord.

Competition

Sometimes competition arises over limited resources, such as time or money, and can become a frequent source of conflict in families, churches, and businesses.

For a Bible example, we turn to Genesis 13 and the conflict that arose between Abraham’s servants and Lot’s nephew. Both groups had accumulated great herds due to God’s blessing. The herds were so big that they competed for grazing land. To resolve the conflict, Abraham and Lot decided to part ways. Abraham stayed in Canaan, and Lot moved to the plain of Jordan.

Sinful Attitudes & Habits

A whole host of conflicts arise due to sin. Many of these conflicts are caused or aggravated by sinful attitudes and habits that lead to sinful words and actions. Note the words of James 4:1-2

James 4:1–2 KJV 1900

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Conflict is Not Necessarily Bad

Some differences are natural and beneficial. For instance, God created humans, both male and female. I think we can all agree that these differences are beneficial. God also created each of us to be unique and different. We have different opinions, convictions, desires, perspectives, and priorities. Most of these differences are not inherently right or wrong. Instead, they are simply the result of God-given diversity and personal preferences. Not the words of 1 Corinthians 12:21-31. When handled properly, disagreements can stimulate productive dialogue, enourage creativity, promote helpful change, and generally make life more interesting. It is good to seek unity in our relationships and not demand uniformity. Ephesians 4:1-13 teaches us this. So, instead of avoiding all conflicts or demanding that others always agree with us, we must rejoice in the diversity of God’s creation and learn to accept and work with people who simply see things differently than we do.

Romans 15:7 KJV 1900

7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Romans 14:1–13 KJV 1900

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

Not All Conflict is Neutral or Beneficial

As we already noted, Scripture teaches that many disagreements directly result from sinful attitudes and behavior.

Note the words of James 4:1-2 with me again.

James 4:1–2 KJV 1900

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

When a conflict results from sinful desires or actions that are too serious to be overlooked, we need to avoid the temptation to escape or attack. Instead, we need to pursue one of the peacemaking responses to conflict. Doing so will help us get to the root cause of the conflict and restore genuine peace.

Additionally, Scripture teaches that we should see conflict not as an inconvenience nor an opportunity to force our will on others. Instead, we are to see conflict as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love and power. For this reason, the Holy Spirit instructed the Corinthian believers about religious, legal, and dietary disputes, saying...

1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1 KJV 1900

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

What a radical view of conflict! We are encouraged to look at conflict as an opportunity to glorify God, serve others, and grow to be like Christ.

Here is a quick overview of these proper responses.