Day 117 Conflict as Adventure

Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 1 Peter 3:10-11

You know that I hate conflict. The word even sounds painful. It breaks down to the prefix con- and the suffix –flict. Con- is from the same source from which we developed the word constipation.  (Of course it does.) And –flict is the origin of afflicted, as in, What a drag! I’m afflicted with constipation. (Okay, I haven’t really checked that, but that’s the image—constipated affliction.)

I can’t stand the feeling I get when I experience tension with others. Conflict causes me more bodily stress than just about anything else I do. But conflict can be part of God’s strategy to transform us into the people He wants us to be.... God can use the conflict in our lives for His glory, and conflict can be part of God’s adventure for us. (Crap!)

How? We writing people know that the one factor present in all adventures is conflict. In order to have an adventure, you need some sort of obstacle to overcome.

Whenever we’re involved in conflict, we’re forced to overcome an obstacle. That’s when the adventure begins: in the middle of the conflict, we encounter a situation that is unclear, difficult, and tension filled, and we need a good Guide to navigate the path.

This is where Jesus comes in. Smack-dab in the middle of our battle, He joins us and offers us light to the other side. Light that honors us ourselves, the other person, and the relationship we share.

That’s our invitation in the middle of relational conflict: to see any such struggle as an invitation to Christ’s adventure in transformation. Christ extends His hand to us and invites us to walk with Him through the storm. As we seek Him, He transforms us into deeper, richer, and more meaningful people. Conflict is the catalyst that God uses to show Himself to us and to cause new growth to happen in our lives.

God, help Sarah to walk with you through the storm of conflict and use them as opportunities to trust you in shaping and transforming her life. Help her to maintain the respect she deserves in relationships--and give her joy! Amen.