Conflict resolution.

How do you handle your conflicts with others? At the youth conference we discussed this. Sorry I got behind on the devotions but travel ate up my time for the devotions! I know how many of us handle our conflicts with others, shouting, fighting, attacking each other. Look at what God' word says:

Matthew 18:15-17

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

So there it is. The way God wants us to handle a sinning brother in the faith. First you go to him by yourself and try to talk about it. If He listens you keep your relationship. If he don't then you get a couple of friends to go with you to try and work it out. Again if he listens you keep your relationship, if he does not, you then take it before the whole church...wow! Then the church tries to reason with him. The if he doesn't listen to the church you have great sadness for him. When it says let him be like a heathen and tax collector...these folks were looked down upon but we are to have a sadness for them and a hope that they will come back for reconciliation. Remember one of the followers of Christ was once a tax collector (Matthew) and all of us were heathens at one point but God brought us back and we must keep that in mind in our conflicts!

Think about this today...how are we as a church handling our conflicts? Like God designed or like we think is right?

Tom