DETERMINED: DETERMINATION AND CONFLICT

Baca:

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21 NLT "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

Bacaan tahunan:

Thoughts for the Day

Brad Rymer, author of Where Is the Image of God in You?, does marriage counseling. Many folks he counsels have a high degree of determination. That does not mean it is impossible for them to change their minds or their ways. It just means it probably will not happen without a fight. Commonly a spouse will say after a grueling counseling session where the couple appeared to be upset with everything that occurred, "That was a hard session, but it sure was good!"

Determined people are often willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish something important to them. They are usually not afraid of a fight. The questions becomes this: Will they fight fair?

Ken Sande, founder of Peacemaker® Ministries, says there are three primary approaches to conflict.

Peace-Fakers: those "more interested in avoiding conflict than in resolving it" - peace at all costs.
Peace-Breakers: those "more interested in winning conflict than in preserving a relationship."
Peace-Makers: those who look for "mutually agreeable solutions to conflict" - win-win solutions (22-25).

Consider This . . .

Why are we discussing conflict in our devotions about the character trait of determination? The things we are determined about generally involve some level of confrontation, so it is important to reflect on how we handle conflict as a first step in developing a healthy and godly use of determination.

Think about conflict resulting from your determination. Are you a Peace-Faker, a Peace-Breaker, or a Peace-Maker? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9 NIV).

Living Free Every Day is a ministry of livingfree.org

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