Where the conflict gets worse. It just won't go away. This is the daily service podcast with Anthony von Gieman. Ephesians 4:26.
Bear with each other. That's your answer. And forgive one another. If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgive you.
End of verse. What if the conflict gets worse and just won't go away? Bear with each other. Forgive one another.
And in Ephesians 6:13, having done all stand, you've done the best you could possibly do. You know what I said, and I have areas of contrary. Can I just be honest with you here? Areas of conflict that have never gone away in our marriage, in our lives.
Well, by God's grace and the counsel of people, I think, and I think she agrees, we are getting better at resolving them each time a conflict erupts. The thing is, this is the challenging thing. They seem to get more intense, right? And complex, the conflicts.
I mean, as the years go by, you know, conflicts when it comes to choices our children are making, for example, Right. Because now it's about career, now it's about marriage. Now it's about, you know, the rest of their lives. The trust we give people.
We are meeting because now we're looking at, of course, the final investment decisions of our lives. We're looking at whom we shall entrust our family to. Conflicts when it comes to the patience we have or we don't have, as multiple pressures erupt, especially during this pandemic, the pressures are growing. But here's the thing.
As the pressures grow, the belief we have to overcome them grows even bigger. And that belief is called, you know, this faith. And we take no credit for it, because our faith is a gift. And that gift allows us to live with conflict as a fact of life.
And some of these conflicts are good, yes, are bad, Some are ugly. I think of the upcoming elections in this country, and unfortunately, I see not just those who live in conflict, but those who actually love it. Seriously, what did Christianity say? And I quote, the love of conflict is most evident when opposing forces join sides to defeat the peacemaker.
End quote. And the reality is there are many around who just love conflict. In fact, some create it for personal gain. Huh?
Oh, come on. Think about wbc, World Boxing Council. That's. That's conflict, right?
At its best. Ufc, even entertaining conflict. Wwe, World Wrestling, right? Entertainment conflict sells.
But of course, it always isn't entertaining. It can also be devastating. Ask the arms makers, right? The arms dealers weep for armed conflicts that have wiped out entire communities and people groups throughout history.
What if the conflict gets worse and just won't go away? Well, if these kinds of lingering conflicts are upon you, I pray you are committed to better responding over time. We ask not, why is this happening? Rather, we reflect, how should the I be responding?
Again? Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. For conflicts beyond us, I pray we take time to intercede. Do you believe that intercession often is the best form of intervention?
Because indeed, and I quote, more things are wrought by prayer than this world can ever dream of. End quote. Often our desire to resolve conflict, you know this will not be reciprocated. Our efforts will not be reciprocated.
What is key is that we know in our hearts we have done what we could. Shannon Adler said this, and I quote, when the person you love can't see your love for them beneath the painful things you say when they reject you, remember this love is blind. Finally, do remember that no conflict lasts forever. We will have our peace.
We will have our peace if we persevere, as Maximus reminds us in the gladiator, in this life or in the next.