Good morning, everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Living with joy”
Our Bible verse for today: “Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women …” Philippians 4:3 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “Be the peacemaker”
If unresolved conflict is a joy-stealer, then those who help to resolve conflict can be thought of as joy-restorers. This would be consistent with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:9 where He called us to be peacemakers. This is also what Paul was referring to in Philippians 4:3.
Euodia and Syntyche, the two women referred to by Paul in Philippians 4:3-4, were in conflict and they obviously were not resolving it between themselves. So, Paul called for the leaders of the church to get involved and to help those two sisters work through it and get beyond it. Paul was aware of the situation, but he wasn’t close enough to it to really do much about it. So, he drew into the situation those who were close to it, and he tasked them with getting personally involved in the resolution of the conflict.
We need to do the same. We all have a vested interest in seeing conflicts resolved. Unresolved conflicts are Satan’s playground. They are guaranteed joy-stealers and they can have a profound negative impact on everyone else in the workplace, in the family, or in the church. God wants us to work for peace in our human relationships. Here are a couple of points to keep in mind as you try to help:
First, remember that in any situation you have never heard the whole story until you have heard both sides of the story. Even if each of the individuals is making a genuine effort to describe the situation accurately, they are still only telling it from their perspective. You need the full picture if you are going to help resolve it.
Second, it might be helpful to gently remind them both that how easily a person is offended, how quick they are to take offense and then to carry a grudge, is a direct reflection of that person’s spiritual maturity – or their lack of it. A spiritually immature person walks around cocked and loaded, ready to be offended. They’re always imagining offenses and perceived slights and once they have allowed themselves to be offended, they then cling to that offense and carry a grudge.
A spiritually mature person doesn’t do that. A spiritually mature person is not easily offended and they don’t harbor grudges. Unfortunately, some Christians lack the humility or the spiritual maturity to deal with perceived slights and offenses in the proper way. That’s when it becomes necessary for other Christians to step in and act as the peacemakers.
Is there an unresolved conflict that you are aware of and where the people involved need some help dealing with it? If so, will you be the peacemaker who helps them? If you will, the Lord could use you to restore to them the joy of living in peace with each other.
God bless,
Pastor Jim
If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
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