Conflict....ah....ah!

Well, last week was something off the charts. Yes preaching about husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church and wives submitting to their husbands as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-33), was quite a doozy.

But, last Tuesday, I was able to go to a church planters network meeting and hear a talk about managing conflict. As the speaker, Ron Toews, (a friend, mentor, teacher, fellow follower of Jesus) unpacked this idea and the implications of managing conflict in a healthy way, God started to speak in a mighty way!
Here's some points that stood out:

• "The mission of God should create conflict" Basically, if we are following the Bible and what the church is called to be and we are called to be, it will create some conflict....good conflict
• "Helping people work through the small conflict in life, will pave the way for working on the bigger conflict."

So, some big questions came to mind...for you (not really sure who reads this, one person or 100), but to ponder for yourselves:

• How do you manage conflict at your workplace?
• If there was a continuum of conflict, where would you be....hating conflict - not minding it once in awhile - or embracing it no matter what.
• How do you manage conflict in your marriage or close friendships? Who takes the lead in resolving conflict, you or the other person?
• What about in church...have you run away from conflict, not willing to work through it - I know often I have, and already at Gateway, I have shyed away from certain people and conflict with them....unhealthy - for sure!

This idea about conflict led me to this sight, which I found yesterday. Check it out...even watch the video - what secrets do we hide or live in fear to?

http://mysecret.tv/
May God give you hope and joy as you receive his love today,
Blessings,
Paul