Song of Songs 2:15, NKJV
The longer you avoid the problem, the bigger the problem gets.
Pain is part of the progress.
Often, the difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain you’re willing to endure.
Remember the reason to confront the conflict.
Confrontation that brings the right pain will produce gain for both people.
Always remember that if you don’t handle the conflict confrontation the right way, it will bring offense.
Offenses come because of unfulfilled or wrong expectations.
Offenses cause you to have a clouded view of those who, you feel, have offended you.
- It’s easy to be deceived when you have been offended.
- You can usually only see what they did to you, not your part in the offense.
- When it’s you it’s circumstantial, when it’s them it’s character.
Offenses not dealt with lead to bitterness.
The cure for offensiveness is to learn to be quick to repent/forgive.
- If you think you did the offending, be quick to ask the person to forgive you.
- If that person asks you to forgive them, be quick to forgive.
- If they don’t ask, “Be quick to forgive them.” (Luke 23:34, NKJV)
Personal internal conflict. (John 8:32, NKJV)
- Internal conflict that you have not handled personally.
- Many times, when a person has not handled their internal personal conflicts, they cause conflicts with others that they don’t even understand.
- When the enemy can’t seem to win with external force, he will result to internal conflict. (James 4:1-3, NCV; Ephesians 6:11-12, NKJV)
- Rejection is one of the greatest struggles of personal internal conflict. (Genesis 4:3-8, NCV)