What Does the Bible Say About... Conflict?
Whether at work, school, or home, all of us have experienced conflict before. While the old adage says that conflict is inevitable, its seriousness should not be downplayed. When we find ourselves at odds with others, we should evaluate our hearts for sinful motives that may be underlying the conflict we experience.
On Sunday, Benjamin preached on James 4:1-6, helping us see what the Bible presents as the most fundamental reason for conflict and giving biblical wisdom for pursuing peace in the midst of it.
When we find ourselves quarreling, it can be easy to blame others. We might try to justify our frustrations by focusing on the ways we were wronged. If there’s no one to blame, we might belabor the difficulties of our situations to excuse our sinful actions. These approaches, however, give in to self-righteousness and self-pity. Neither is biblical.
The fundamental reason we experience conflict is actually internal. James 4:1 (ESV) says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” The root of our quarrels are the frustrated desires of our hearts.
We would do well to consider our desires, and evaluate whether they are rooted in a love for God or are ultimately self-gratifying. Even desires for good things can be problematic when we seek satisfaction outside of the God who made us.
God is jealous for our affection. He created us and desires for us to treasure Him above all else, finding our joy in Him. The Lord is worthy of our wholehearted devotion, not simply the divided attention of one who pursues friendship with the world.
Thankfully, God is gracious. We have not pursued Him perfectly. Rather than humbly follow Him, all of us have at times chosen to pursue selfish and sinful desires. But, as Benjamin put it, “He gives grace that is powerful enough to free us from our enslaving passions.”
So, when our passions wage war within us, and we’re tempted to quarrel with others, how can we respond? Rather than engage in conflict, we can glorify God by showing grace, get the log out of our own eye, gently restore, and go and be reconciled to the other person (taken from Ken Sande’s Four G’s).
Resources:
Friends of the World — Ligonier Ministries
Discerning the Carnival Mirror of Conflict — Erik Raymond
Reflection Questions:
What do you want most from God? What do you want most from others?
What does your response to conflict say about your view of God?
How does the gospel free us to become peacemakers?