A recent undercurrent of
discontent infected our congregation. I’d developed a terrible attitude about
the situation, and I sat trying to be attentive for the sermon titled: Resolution: The Mathew Solution. I
missed it.
During the following week,
God led me to James 4:7-10. My heart opened to the clear steps to resolving
conflict.
- Submit to God
No matter the circumstances, submit to God. Ask for his
wisdom to see the truth, not the colored viewpoint of humans. Be willing to
follow him … wherever it may lead.
- Resist the devil
As we submit to God, we resist the devil. But the attacks
will continue during the peacemaking process. Satan wants to convince us we
aren’t at fault and that following God’s way is troublesome, a lot of work, and
a hindrance to the outcome we want.
- Draw near to God
The more we resist the devil, the closer we draw near to
God. As we move closer to him, the better able we are to resist the devil, remove
our own desires and submit to his.
- Cleanse your hands
We’ve become ingrained with Mt. 18—go to the one who has
sinned against you. Instead we should be looking at our own sin. “First take
the log out of your own eye” (Mt. 7:5 NASB). We need to face our own sin before
we confront anyone else’s.
- Purify your heart
The goal of conflict resolution is reconciliation with
God. To approach a solution to the friction, our own hearts need to be clean.
This is done by seeking to please God, not other people. Not everyone will be happy,
but God will be delighted.
- Be miserable and mourn and weep
Sin is the root of strife and we should be saddened and repentant.
As we submit to God’s authority and purify our hearts, we come to realize how
destructive our own sin is in the conflict.
- Humble yourself
Humility isn’t weakness; it’s the opposite of pride and
admits we can do nothing on our own. When pride takes hold, we think we have
the solution to any problem. But only God is the true peacemaker.
The next time conflict
resolution is the topic, remember James’s steps to peacemaking. Resolve the
strife in yourself, and then you’ll be prepared to help others.
Is there a
conflict in your life? How will you follow James’s steps to resolve it?
ABOUT
When
she’s not tending chickens and donkeys, Susan K. Stewart teaches, writes,
and edits non-fiction. Susan’s passion
is to inspire readers and listeners with practical, real-world solutions. Her books include Science in the
Kitchen and Preschool: At What Cost? and
the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers.
Contact Susan to speak to your group her website www.practicalinspirations.com.
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