They weren’t acting in line with the truth of the gospel...” Gal. 2:14
Lord Jesus, if to conflict is human, then to conflict redemptively is divine. It’s to “act in line with the truth of the Gospel.” Through the years, I’ve been conflict-avoidant, conflict-frozen, conflict-toddler-ish, and once-in-a-while, conflict-healthy—which I wish to be my forever-norm. Teach, show, empower us to steward our conflicts—to see them as opportunities to “act in line with the truth of the Gospel.”
Help us care more about your glory than our rightness—more about “faith expressing itself in love” than us expressing ourselves in fear and contempt. Help us receive feedback non-defensively and give it lovingly. Convict us quickly when we lose sight of the issue and redouble our intensity. You came to destroy enmity and walls of hostility, not make them okay. In our weakness your strength is perfected; but in our defensiveness our immaturity is made obvious. Help us Jesus. Replace our head-butting with heart-wising.
When our conflicts involve hard issues, gentle us and remind us we don’t have to become harsh. When our conflicts involve personal loss, insult, and pain, you don’t expect us to be passive—but you still call us to “put down the sword.” Calling down grace must become our first option, not calling down fire (Lk.9:54-55). To turn our cheeks is to turn our faces to you, not to enable fools or abusers (Matt.5:38-40).
Jesus, free us from our inability/unwillingness to sit in the tension of differing opinions, diverse perspectives, and triggering-personalities. Staying curious, listening well, and being humble don’t reflect the absence of a backbone, but the presence of your Spirit, grace, and kingdom. Help us, Jesus. So Very Amen.
