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Approaching Conflict

Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
People will always disappoint us. It does not matter our relationship or our position, our world is so terribly fallen that we as people are bound to fail one another. This does not give us the right to disregard them because in the moment of disappointment we oftentimes forget that we have been on the giving side also. Uganda has allowed me to realize that my teammates are not perfect and that ministry truly does start in the home. It is so easy to walk away from conflict and allow bitterness to harbor in our hearts but let us not forget that what we hide in our hearts will soon be revealed through our actions. In turn, our relationship with the Lord suffers and our hearts become hardened towards those around us. Christ has called us to love others the way He has loved us and when we allow the pride of our flesh to whisper into our hearts that we are entitled to our self-pity or our anger, we are only deceiving ourselves. Christ was more than entitled to His feelings when He was beaten, bruised, and sent to die on the cross, but in humble submission, He remained faithful to His Father’s will for His life of sacrifice. Why? Because the Lord knew that we were in desperate need of a Savior who on our behalf could wash us with His cleansing blood, taking away the sins which we are not capable of overcoming on our own. Therefore, we no longer have to hide in fear of confrontation, we no longer have to be afraid in the midst of those who have wronged us because it is no longer our battle, it is the battle of He who remains victorious. So let us be quick to keep short accounts because even the midst of the most difficult confrontation, our Lord is there and as Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “He will never leave us nor forsake us.” 

Application
Today, I will approach my teammate who has wronged me in sincere forgiveness. 

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