August 31 Devotion - Resolving Conflict

      

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

لِيُرْفَعْ مِنْ بَيْنِكُمْ كُلُّ مَرَارَةٍ وَسَخَطٍ وَغَضَبٍ وَصِيَاحٍ وَتَجْدِيفٍ مَعَ كُلِّ خُبْثٍ. 32وَكُونُوا لُطَفَاءَ بَعْضُكُمْ نَحْوَ بَعْضٍ، شَفُوقِينَ مُتَسَامِحِينَ كَمَا سَامَحَكُمُ اللهُ أَيْضًا فِي الْمَسِيحِ.

Ephesians 4:31-32

 

As we see from Jesus’ actions and words in Matthew 21:12-13 anger is not intrinsically wrong. Anger in response to sin and its ill effects is a form of righteous anger, but when it crosses over the boundary into bitterness or a spirit of vengeance, it is not honouring to God.

 

And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the moneychangers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those who were selling doves [for sacrifice]. ¹³ Jesus said to them, “It is written [in Scripture], ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

 

¹²وَدَخَلَ يَسُوعُ إِلَى هَيْكَلِ اللهِ وَأَخْرَجَ جَمِيعَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَبِيعُونَ وَيَشْتَرُونَ فِي الْهَيْكَلِ، وَقَلَبَ مَوَائِدَ الصَّيَارِفَةِ وَكَرَاسِيَّ بَاعَةِ الْحَمَامِ ¹³وَقَالَ لَهُمْ:«مَكْتُوبٌ: بَيْتِي بَيْتَ الصَّلاَةِ يُدْعَى. وَأَنْتُمْ جَعَلْتُمُوهُ مَغَارَةَ لُصُوصٍ!»

 

Matthew 21:12-13

 

Our health and well-being are important reasons for quick resolution of an angry conflict; bitterness must definitely be avoided.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please do not let anger control me. Teach me to resolve conflict and to replace it with a win-win alternative and to be tenderhearted toward the person I am having conflict with but without accepting a martyr lose-win alternative for myself. Please work on their heart also. Lord, help me to get rid of any desire to get revenge, and to able to quickly forgive just as You God have forgiven me in Christ. Lord help me to realize that my total dependence on You to help me forgive is not an indication of weakness on my part, but a sign of strength and confidence in You and Your promises. Father, I thank You for Your deep, everlasting, and inseparable love for me and for Your abundant blessings in my life. In the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus The Christ, the only begotten Son of God, I pray. To You Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein