Grady Russell

Living in conflict? It is part of life. Yet, God has given His followers powerful tools to overcome conflicts in life.

4 Why do you fight and argue with each other? Isn’t it because you are full of selfish desires that fight to control your body? 2 You want some-thing you don’t have, and you will do anything to get it. You will even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won’t get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. 3 Yet even when you do pray, your prayers are not answered, because you pray just for selfish reasons.
4 You people aren’t faithful to God! Don’t you know that if you love the world, you are God’s enemies? And if you decide to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you doubt the Scriptures that say, “God truly cares about the Spirit he has put in us”? 6 In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say, “God opposes everyone who is proud, but he is kind to everyone who is humble.”
7 Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you people who can’t make up your mind. 9 Be sad and sorry and weep. Stop laughing and start crying. Be gloomy instead of glad. 10 Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you.
11 My friends, don’t say cruel things about others! If you do, or if you condemn others, you are condemning God’s Law. And if you condemn the Law, you put yourself above the Law and refuse to obey either it 12 or God who gave it. God is our judge and he can save or destroy us. What right do you have to condemn anyone? James 4:1-12 (CEV)

It seems the best way to deal with conflict in our lives is to surrender to God. Yes, conflict is a part of life, but surrender to God is the beginning of the end of conflict. I am attempting this in my own life. Try it in yours! Read the verses above. Meditate on them. Are you in total surrender to God. Are you resisting the Devil? Are you approaching each potential conflict in humility? Are you wavering in your decisions? Are you giving in to selfish desires? Are your words harsh and cruel? Resolving these questions for your own situation will make resolving any conflict much easier.

Fighting over stuff? “Everything in heaven and earth is yours O Lord and this is your kingdom. We adore you for being in control of everything. Your hand alone controls power and might and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength.” 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (version unknown)

When we realize that everything belongs to God, selfish motivation must give in to humble acceptance. We conflict with others because of our own internal strife. We strive within ourselves because of the underlying conflict with God. Clean up your act! Get right with God. Resolve your own internal inconsistencies. Conflicts with others will then become much easier to resolve! Make peace with God and within your own life and become a peacemaker today!