Opportunity in Conflict
Continuing in the “Thrive” message series, Pastor Hurmon uses the story of Daniel to discuss how followers of God are called to deal with conflict. There is a direct tie between our emotional and spiritual maturity, and the way we deal with conflict is a sign of how emotionally and spiritually mature we are. Therefore, one of the best ways to grow emotionally is to change our views on conflict.
Instead of seeing conflict as opposition, we can see conflict as an opportunity for growth. Instead of avoiding conflict, we should speak the truth in love, and receive the truth with love. We should pray and search ourselves when we confront a potential conflict. We should identify the values we seek to defend, and should check our assumptions about how a conflict will be perceived by others. Finally, instead of trying to “beat” the other person, we should choose a respectful tone and seek to find a solution where everyone wins. And in the same way, we must learn to receive conflict from others in a loving manner. By doing this, we have the opportunity to be witnesses for God.