I don’t do well with conflict! If I could avoid it forever, I would! And my husband hates conflict even more than I do. As you can imagine, we have had lots to learn in our communication. Things can get even more complicated when you are working and living with people from other cultures and talking in your second language. As much as I would like to avoid conflict, it’s not possible. We can’t run away from it so how do we handle conflict well and in a grace-filled, God-honoring way? 

We only have a couple minutes together today so I am going to sum it up with this one statement: look up. If our focus is on our horizontal relationships, it can get pretty intense and messy. First, look up to your God who knows you. You don’t have to defend yourself to Him or explain why you said what you did or are feeling the way you are. He knows and understands you better than you understand yourself. Before you go to your next team meeting or to the office or your next group Zoom call or planning meeting, look up. 

Ephesians 4 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called…”  

“The unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”… that is what we want. Satan desires to kill, steal, and destroy. He doesn’t want us to experience this unity with other believers. We are in a spiritual battle and God is calling us today to be humble, gentle, and patient and to bear with one another in love. Some days this can be really hard but He will help us. So today, look up and turn these verses into a prayer. Prayer is our powerful weapon. Let’s pray together…