Now, in a great house there are not only gold and silver dishes, but also wooden and baked clay, and some on the one hand to honor and some on the other hand to dishonor. If, then, anyone cleanse himself from these things, he will be a dish to honor, only having been set apart, useful to the household master, having been made ready for every good work.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 lks
2 Timothy 2:20-26
Conflict happens for we are human, do not see clearly, and often trust ourselves more than is warranted. There have been conflicts in my life that involved many people and had the capacity of much harm. Some responded to these conflicts with vitriol. Some responded with tears. Some responded with apathy. Some responded with gossip. Very few, if any, responded with consistent goodness, trust, love, and peace. And so, the conflicts continued, hurdling toward some sort of explosion and damage that took years to repair. In fact, some damage was irreparable.
Shame on all of us.
Shame on me.
God, give me the courage to be mild as I speak the truth. Give me clarity, but tempered with humility, always honest about my own limitations.
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Can I join you in that prayer? Thanks :-D
ReplyDeleteWe need to be people who can handle conflict correctly. Too often we can see only two possible outcomes: hurt or avoid. But I believe there is a third and better way ... http://www.evotional.com/2006/09/tension.html
We need huge dollups of His outrageous grace.
Indeed. Ann offers some wise thoughts on the topic as well: http://thruaglassdrkly.blogspot.com/2006/09/gods-and-generals.html
ReplyDeleteOne of the most difficult problems is how to show honor amidst dispute when the "other side" is wrong/sinful/evil. The hurt or avoid option becomes all too easy. We must speak up, but we must do so in a way that honors God.