Conflict

How do you handle it?

            “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23

            When we are meet with conflict of any kind, do we pray this prayer? Or take the attitude, I know I’m right, so I’ll fight to prove it!

            I feel I’m going out on a limb here, because I have watched too many conflicts in churches and family, and I’m not trying to stir the pot, so to speak but ask individually, “What does God require of me?” and as I challenge myself, I pray you will be challenged as well.

How many of you have seen the movie War Room? (raises your hand). Powerful message, was it not? Miss Clare challenged Elizabeth to do her fighting in prayer. Why was that you think?

One thing stood out to me, and it is this: We often think we are right and because we are SO right, in our human nature, we fight for it, cause “We’re right and they’re wrong and we have to have it our way and will fight until we do” and often at all costs! The cost of our marriage, our family relationships, our friendships, and our church family.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me…”

This is the statement of humility.

David was a man after God’s own heart. We all know he wasn’t perfect and he made some horrendous mistakes, so why did God call him a man after His own heart?

Because he allowed God to correct him, and he didn’t take the argument that he was right in what he was doing.

Challenge #1 Seek God in prayer about the conflict.

Challenge #2 Do your fighting in prayer not with the offender

Challenge #3 Let God deal with the offender

Challenge #4 Repent and make things right if God convicts you of being in the wrong.

These are things that come right out of the War Room movie….. as well as the Bible!!!

We all know the fruits of the spirit. So well in fact that we take them for granted. “The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace…. Yadyadyad”

Ok, let’s read a bit of Galatians 5:13-26 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

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.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (lustfulness),

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith,

23 Meekness, Temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

            God’s word is pretty clear. Walk in the Spirit and if we walk in the Spirit there will be no room for the things of the flesh. One of the ways we can walk in the Spirit, is to do our fighting in prayer.

            Because the real enemy is Satan.

            Not our spouse.

            Not our family.

            Not our friend.

            Not our church family.

            We must walk in the Spirit, seeking God in everything, and allowing Him to work, instead of taking matters into our own hands!

            Did you get that?

            Allowing Him to work, instead of taking matters into our own hands.

            When we see the enemy for who he is and what he’s doing, it helps us keep things in perspective. Satan is out to destroy. We as Christians should not! If the fight is going to destroy relationships and family, is it really worth it??

            The first fruit of the Spirit is love.

            1 Corinthians 13: 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not Love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not Love, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; Love envieth not; Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Love never faileth....

13 And now abideth faith, hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love.

If we're not doing it in love... it's worth nothing. 

If we're not doing it in love....it will destroy!

There are many, many verses in the Bible on conflict. I could list them all, but I think I’ll stop here.

I challenge myself and you, my fellow Christian, please follow scripture when you are faced with conflicts. Cover it in prayer and be ready to make it right if God prompts you to do so.

Your sister in Christ

S.L. Kliever