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I’m Lisa Bishop and I will be sharing biblical wisdom as it relates to conflict… in the workplace (or in any relationship for that matter).
If you have a pulse, you will encounter conflict several times throughout your lifetime. Conflict is a normal part of any healthy relationship. Now there is a difference between healthy and unhealthy conflict which often has to do with the circumstances surrounding the conflict and our approach to it. Yet one thing is true… people can’t be expected to agree on and see everything the same way all the time.
There are many ways we can relate to conflict. Some of us love it, some of us hate it and try to avoid it at all costs (which really is not possible, by the way). Some of us, if we are honest, love to stir up conflict. We all respond differently when conflict arises. And often the way we experienced conflict being handled when we were growing up influences our current relationship to conflict.
Yet there are biblical ways to engage when we don’t see eye to eye so that we can resolve conflict in a constructive way that keeps our relationships strong and growing. One of the first things to consider is reframing conflict. Not seeing it as bad or wrong but seeing it as an opportunity. When we see conflict as an opportunity and not a threat, when we see it as a way to gain understanding and build relationships, as an opportunity to grow… relationships can deepen.
As followers of Jesus, we have an incredible opportunity and responsibility to engage with conflict in a way that puts the glory of God on display. As God’s image bearers, we are on this planet and in our workplace and relationships to image him and that includes how we engage with conflict.
I can’t say that I always remember to honor God in conflict situations. Often my flesh is tempted to take over. But as we unpack how to apply wisdom in conflict, here is my invitation. When you find yourself in a conflict situation, when you feel anger, irritation, hurt or anxiousness rising, start with Psalm 139:23-26.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ask God to search you. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see anything in you that has contributed to the conflict, and be open to what he shows you as you ask him to lead you.