Job’s friend Eliphaz said: “…humans are born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7) And it often seems that trouble comes out of nowhere, doesn’t it? A spouse suggesting divorce. A pink slip with 20 minutes to clear out your desk. A call from the principal…or from jail. Even in church – why do we have to wear masks!? Why aren’t we all wearing masks!
Though they seem to come out of nowhere, dissatisfaction was already brewing…we just didn’t know how bad it was. We missed the red flags – the coolness, disrespect, anger. We should have seen this coming!
Is it too late? Can we save the marriage? Can we save the friendship? Can we help our child walk through this?
When shocking, stressful news hits, our first reaction is always emotional. Freeze from shock. Cry. Run. Fight. Quit. Give up. Hit back. Blame. Accuse. Get defensive. Get even. I think there are three people you meet when you run into conflict.
The rarest is the peacemaker. They will hang in there and stand by you. They will give wise counsel and refuse to fight or run. They will pray and seek God’s will. This is the calling of God for each of us.
Others are peace-fakers. They see our plight but back off…distancing themselves from us. They don’t want to get involved or help. They aren’t around when you need them.
Then there are the peace-breakers. They blame us and make the situation even more miserable. Instead of talking with us, they discuss our faults with others. Job had “friends” like this: He called them “Miserable comforters.”
When conflict arrives, what comes next is what counts…no matter if you’re dealing fakers, breakers or peacemakers. Remember, every conflict comes with a decision: I will become a better person through this, or I will become a worse person because of this.
Join us Sunday and we’ll discuss the godly steps to take when conflict strikes.
