Lean hard on resolution

Conflict is inevitable. If you are going to be in a relationship with another person, you are going to disagree. Only people on sitcoms always get along, and if they do have a problem, it is resolved quickly. Life involves conflict.

In Philippians 4:2-3 two women, Euodia and Syntyche, in the church were in the middle of a conflict. These were not two cantankerous older women arguing about nothing important. They were two high-impact people, leaders in the church who were no longer living in harmony with each other. The effect of their conflict spread far and wide.

Conflict, if left unresolved, will impact those around you. The conflict between Euodia and Syntyche has affected not only the whole of the church but others in the surrounding community. We often fail to see how our conflicts impact those around us. The stress of the battle and the weight of the broken relationships carries with you to all you do. As you go about your day, the effects of the conflict weigh on the back of your mind, distracting you from where you want to be entirely focused. The results of conflict always have a bigger impact than just those in the middle of the storm.

Sometimes you need a third party to help bring resolve. The situation in Philippi required a third party to help restore the two women. That third party can bring a perspective neither is seeing.

Conflict happens easily. Resolution does not. Conflict does not care about the wake it creates. Resolution says, "This person matters more than what we disagree about." Resolution finds a way for people and brings people who may never agree on an issue to live in harmony with each other. When it comes to the conflict, you need to ask yourself, "Do I value this person more than the problem we have?"

Some conflicts cannot be resolved. Two people who have vastly distinct and different core values will not and cannot sacrifice their convictions. Yet, they can live in harmony upon what they do agree.

Conflict is not always bad. Conflict can create something great. Disagreeing over how something should be done may reveal a way neither party thought it could be done. Don't shy away from conflict but lean hard on creating a resolution.