Where Does Conflict Come From?
Is it not from the selfish desires that wage war within you, me, us?
90% 100% of the conflict that rises up within me and rears its ugly head stems from the selfishness that lives within my being. Then you merge that with another human being who has selfish desires waging war within them and you get …[anticipating silence]… conflict!
But how do we deal with it? How do we deal with the selfish-war within ourselves? How do we deal with it when two people’s selfish-wars clash? Where does that space lie? How is it done? Where is the safety to throw it out on the table, see it, label it, look at it, acknowledge its existence and not hide it? Where can we find healing and restoration in the midst of conflict?
I am finding more and more that as I allow God and others into my life to help heal me from the selfish-war that wages inside of me, the more I can begin to participate in—get this—recognizing, resolving and bringing restoration to the conflict I see in others, sometime caused by me. I am also finding that the more I am engulfed by my own little cloud of darkness, the less I can see and participate in healing others. My son is a case-in-point that comes to mind. When I am at peace, I find that I can be a pretty good dad who can see what he needs when he is in conflict. When I am at war within, I find that my dadness becomes pretty self-centered and his conflict is just an annoyance.
I am thankful for my friends and my Daddy who are loving me into a place where I can find peace. It comes and goes, but thankfully it is moving and progressing.
So here is my question (feel free to comment even if you don’t have an answer). How are you seeing Jesus show up within your conflicts? How are you struggling with the selfish-war waging within you?


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