My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
James 1 : 19-20
Managing Conflict
As humans, we are predisposed to encountering conflict during our lifetime. Conflict can be brought on by pride, greed, jealousy and even a bitter heart, all of which are a result of sin in our lives. How we manage conflict affects our most important relationships. It can even affect our relationship with God. Sometimes we are quick to respond in a situation, oftentimes without giving thought to the words we choose and further exacerbating other’s responses. But God’s Word tells us to focus on listening and to be slow in responding. In essence, taking time to think about what we are hearing and taking time to choose our words wisely. As followers of Christ, we are charged with keeping a tight rein on our tongue. Proverbs 15:1 tells us that a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. In any situation, we can only control ourselves and maintaining Godly control over our reactions, emotions and words is the first step in managing the situation. Not maintaining control and working to resolve conflict gives the devil an opportunity to work his way into the situation. Wouldn’t it be easier to apologize for a misunderstanding rather than having to also apologize for words spoken in haste that were hurtful. Proverbs 12:18 tells us that reckless words pierce like a sword but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Our goal should be to bring healing to our relationships, not cutting them up.
- Written by our Lighthouse Mentors