Read it: John 16:33 & John 14:27 & James 1:19 & Isaiah 26:3 & Matthew 5:9 & Philippians 4:6-7
Live it:
Our scripture readings start with a discussion about trouble. Jesus didn’t say if you have trouble; he said you will have trouble. You don’t see any bumper stickers that have John 16:33 on them. You don’t see the worship team singing songs about that one, but I take comfort in the rest of that scripture, “but take heart because I have overcome the world.”
A lot of the time, troubles will present themselves in the context of relationships. We challenge each other, we fight, and we disagree with each other. Jesus calls us to be a peacemaker, but it’s hard. It takes courage to be a peacemaker because we have to confront the challenge head on. It requires vulnerability, perseverance, and sacrifice. But, how do we do it? When facing conflict, one technique I use is to stop rehearsing, release it, and replace it:
- Stop Rehearsing– Stop going over & over what happened. Don’t get caught up in being a victim to the pain you feel.
- Release it- Verbally surrender the conflict to God, trusting in His ability to bring good from it.
- Replace it– Finally, substitute negative thoughts with positive truths from the Bible. Writing this down will help prevent you from rehearsing it and having to start the process all over again! As you go through this process you may find it necessary to talk to a neutral party about it.
If you have a conflict you have to resolve, don’t wait and hope that it will get better. It will not. Have the courage to face it today. We would love to pray for you as you seek reconciliation; you can submit your prayer request at https://focus314.churchcenter.com/people/forms/149663.
Ps. James