“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.” Matthew 18:15

Few things in life cause more stress than unresolved conflict. It will elevate your blood pressure and consume your thoughts until you resolve it, so if you’re wise, you will deal with it right away. Not all people feel this way. Even though Jesus commanded us to deal with it, many Christians refrain from saying anything for the sake of peace. Not so. Unresolved conflict will affect your peace of mind, your productivity, and your attitude toward others, so it must be dealt with. Additionally, the problem with refusing to face an issue is that it will probably occur again. So according to an interpersonal communications adviser, do these three things: (1) “Ask God to give you His words to say so that His purpose will be achieved. ‘My word…will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it’ (Isaiah 55:11 NIV). (2) Empty your emotions out to God before engaging the offender. Emotions tend to get in the way of facts and can hinder objective thinking. This isn’t as hard as it may sound once you decide you are going to make every effort to settle the issue in a harmonious way. ‘If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’ (Romans 12:18 NIV). (3) Be clear as to what you perceive the problem to be. Avoid vague arguments that leave room for misinterpretation. For example, ‘You need to do better’ does not really clarify the problem.” If your goal is to heal the relationship, God will work with you.

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024