DAY 2 - CONFLICT

"Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from?  

Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you?"  (James 4:1)

Life. When we stop for a moment and think about our lives and the world we live in, more easily than not, the conflicts in life arise faster than the joyous times. Conflicts seem to be a part of our human nature. As followers of Jesus, we are not exempt from conflicts, yet, I believe we have a greater challenge in the conflicted world to rise above the conflicts in the way God would handle conflict. God's way of handling conflict is not a ten-step process to gaining peace in this world, but God gets to the heart of the matter that works from the inside out. I encourage you to open the Word of God to James 4 and read verses 1-12 out loud.

Among that verse, we see God getting to the heart of the matter, and he began with looking at your own heart. In summary, the way to approach conflict the way God does is in these four ways:

      1.      Looking at what you desire and examining your selfish way (4:1-3)

       2.    Turning from your ways and accepting God’s grace for you (4:4-6)
       3.      Submitting to God (Draw near to God) and resisting evil (4:7-10)
       4.      Loving each other (4:11-12)

Our natural instinct, when conflicts arise, is to blame one another. Let us not forget the first sin and who blamed who. God always works opposite than our ways. He says, look at yourself, examine your heart and desires, then allow God to resolve the conflict. I don’t know what conflict you have, but I encourage you today to know that God knows how to resolve the conflict better than anyone, even yourself.

IronMaker’s Daily Challenge:  Draw near to God today. Humble yourself in his presence. Find a quiet place where no one can bother you, and for just five minutes sit in the presence of God and allow his peace to cover over the conflict. At the end, give thanks to God for a moment of relief.

Prayer:  Oh Lord, thank you for being the author and giver of peace in this world and in my conflicts today. Help me to know that you are always with me. Help me to draw near to you in those moments of conflicts. Thank you, Father. Amen.

Rev. Kristina Crabtree