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L  M A C I A S
RESOLVING PERSONAL CONFLICTS
When the Lord was on earth, He taught many lessons that could help us be better Christians, especially in the world in which we live today a very self-centered and selfish world. Some describe it as a "dog-eat-dog" world. People do not seem to have much patience with one another, and the sad thing about this is that it even happens within the brotherhood. Today we have problems between members who have conflicts with one another, in which one of the parties involved is willing to make amends, but the other is not willing to listen. These are people who should know better. God gave us the Scriptures so that we can handle our problems as He would have us do. In the book of Matthew, we find the Lord instructing us as to how to handle difficulties that might come our way when someone has wronged us. What are we supposed to do? In Matthew 18:15-17, the Lord said, | ||
| "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear thee, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." | |
| The instructions that the Lord left for us to follow when problems come our way are not always followed. The Lord's instructions were not difficult to understand. The problem has been that we sometimes try to resolve issues the way the world does, which is often contrary to the way of God. What the Lord said was for us to go and talk to the person with whom we are having difficulty. Why involve other people in our personal problems? I believe what the Lord wanted us to understand is that the fewer who know about the problems we have with one another, the better. Here the Lord specifically said that the only two who should be involved in knowing the problem and who, therefore, should work to solve it were those directly involved. But how do those of the world try to resolve conflicts? Often, when one has a problem with someone else, he goes about telling everyone about it, except for the person with whom he has the contention. By the time the person involved learns of it, so much damage has been done that it is no longer possible to resolve the issue. This happens with those who do things their way, because they do not know the proper course to take: the way of God. Thus, if those of us who know God's will still try to solve our problems the way the world does, we will have the same outcome. We, too, will not be able to solve those problems that exist between us. Let us not only learn what God would have us do in our dealings with one another, but let us do those things He has instructed us to do. | ||
