Monday; May 6

What do you do when you have a conflict with someone? There are some people who are very good about dealing with issues when they immediately come up, but many of us tend to let things linger. Maybe we don’t like confrontation. It could be that we feel embarrassed when we are odds with people. It might even be that we have a fear that if we bring it up something bad could happen. The problem is that not dealing with things doesn’t make them better – in fact, for a lot of us, it makes us bitter. So how do we deal with issues?

To effectively deal with conflict, we have two healthy choices. First, we can confront those with whom we get crossways. When something comes up, we just stop and say, “My feelings got hurt.” or “Did I understand what you said or did correctly? If so, we need to address this because I am uncomfortable with it.”. The Apostle Paul reminded early Christians, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:26-27). It is easier and better to deal with things immediately. The other way to deal with conflict is through forgiveness – immediate forgiveness. By being able to let things go, we move on and are more likely to stay in a better emotional place. When we practice forgiveness, we get a new chance to emotionally reset following each and every conflict.

Are you at odds with someone? How will you choose to deal with it?

Think About It!

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