Continual conflict is like a vacuum. Pretty soon all that is swirling in your brain and life is drama. You become closed off from what matters to you and what you’d like to pursue. And the people you care about, they are sucked into that conflict (or at least the aftermath) with you.
Is there an off button?
Perhaps the first step is to understand that conflict is often much more complicated than it seems.
What is the whole picture? Not just your view. Not just your feelings. But how this conflict began, and why it continues, and the most important question of all, is there hope for resolution? Maybe even peace. Perhaps healing.
Conflict gone wild takes place when we don’t stop long enough to let calm have a foothold. We just keep pushing, grabbing, fighting, dwelling, retreating and isolating. . . all places where we were never intended to remain, and definitely not to dwell.
Today: Write down how the other person might be feeling. Where this began and why? Ask God to help you see the whole picture.
Just You and God: You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. Matthew 5:9 THE MESSAGE
Hi Suzie,
A resource for your readers to find more of what the Bible says about conflict and resolution might be my book Face-to-Face with Euodia and Syntyche:From Conflict to Community. Also gives a different way of looking at the Book of Philippians as Paul writing it because these two fellow workers for Christ were feuding.
I could not have described the result of ongoing conflict better. I’ve been dealing with an ongoing conflict for over 2 years.. as soon as I reach a place of peace with it, the conflict rears its ugly head in my life again and rips open the wount. I have just about resigned myself to the reality that this conflict will never stop.. but I know that is a lie. It will and it can, and I just have to learn how to deal, heal, pray and move on– and stop letting it get to me!!
Thank you for these wise words.. I needed to hear them!
Kathie