James 4:1-6
“Conflict happens when you are at odds with another person over what you think, want, or do. Conflict can involve everything from small disagreements or major disputes, and it can result in not only hurt feelings, but also damaged property.” —Ken Sande
Since Jesus Christ died for all of our sins and purchased our forgiveness with his life, we must walk in humility and be quick to resolve our conflicts with one another.
- To resolve conflict, we must identify the real problem.
“The evil in our desire typically does not lie in what we want, but that we want it too much.”—John Calvin
“An idol is something within creation that is inflated to function as God. All sorts of things are potential idols, depending only on our attitudes and actions toward them…Idolatry may not involve explicit denials of God’s existence or character. It may well come in the form of an over-attachment to something that is, in itself, perfectly good…an idol can be a physical object, a property, a person, an activity, a role, an institution, an idea, a pleasure, a hero – anything that can substitute for God.”—Richard Keyes
- To resolve conflict, we must repent and receive God’s grace.