Conflicts

"I'm never speaking to you again!  And, I'm not ever playing with you again AND you better not come into my yard or I'll throw these rocks at you!"

The arguments of little children can be so hateful. Yet, by the next day, the conflict is usually forgotten and the children are happily playing together once more.

"You are NOT to come into my room ever again. I hate you!  I wish you weren't my brother (or sister) !" And, the door slams in the face of the sibling.

Sometimes arguments and differences are not as easily solved within families. Sometimes, they are never solved.  My husband tells of a married couple who had an argument and  although they continued to live together, they never spoke to each other again. Oh, she fixed his meals and washed his clothes and he brought home the pay check but, according to their children, they never spoke. As the man lay on his death bed, one of the daughters went to her mother and begged her to apologize to her husband. The mother refused telling the daughter "We have lived this long without speakin' and I ain't changin' that now!" And, the old man passed into eternity never hearing "I'm sorry" or being allowed to tell his wife he was sorry.  And, sometimes, because of an argument between family members, the conflict continues until one of them passes away and the family is never able to unite completely again.

Sometimes disagreements happen at work.  A co-worker gossips about another and the hateful exchange begins.  Soon, the whole workplace is taking sides and work is forgotten in exchange for a bitter conflict between two people. Business suffers because of the time spent arguing and eventually some may loose their jobs because of this.

Sometimes churches have conflicts within their walls. In the house of God where there should be peace and love  there is backbiting and hate and arguing. Members quit speaking to each other. Instead, they conspire as to how they can get their way or how they can hurt others.  There was a church conflict years ago about the color of the new roof that was to be installed.  I understand that to this day, one side of the roof is one color; the other side, another.  Satan loves conflict.  He loves conflict within the home or the workplace but especially within a church. If Satan can cause enough conflict with a church that it splits, he has won another battle. Many lost souls who might have been won to the Lord will not be just because of a conflict caused by a few people who didn't see eye to eye over something usually very small.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the arguments and conflicts adults have could be forgotten so easily as that of small children?

 

" How wonderful, how beautiful,
    when brothers and sisters get along!
It’s like costly anointing oil
    flowing down head and beard,
Flowing down Aaron’s beard,
    flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.
It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon
    flowing down the slopes of Zion.
Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing,
    ordains eternal life." Psalm 133 The Message