Humility - The Prerequisite to Conflict Resolution
Everyone has experienced the unpleasantness of conflict. We know from Scripture that conflict is a result of the fall. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, the effects of their rebellion infiltrated every corner of creation. Human relationships destined for peace and harmony are now marked by conflict. Humans have conflicts stemming from hatred, lust, lies, and covetous desire in their hearts. But what if there was a way to ensure that conflicts could be prevented before they happened?
In this week’s episode of the Biblical Counseling Podcast, pastor Jeff Christianson discusses a secret ingredient to preventing conflict, humility. Christians know that humility is the opposite of pride. Where pride centers a person’s preoccupations around his or her wants, desires, and needs, humility centers a person around God’s Word and revealed will. As Christians walk in humility, they submit to God’s Word and receive grace from God. James 4:6 says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Do you want to see evidence of God’s grace in your life? Walk in humility.
The best way to glorify God in conflict is to prevent conflict before it happens. In that same passage, James reveals the reason for the conflicts we see in the world today. James 4:1-6 describes how fights and quarrels arise from conflicting desires. If we want to prevent conflicts before they happen, we must order our desires to God’s revealed will. When we are tempted toward selfishness and self-absorption, elevating the importance of our own desires above others, we are setting ourselves up for conflicts. If we want to short-circuit potential conflicts, we must walk in love with other people.
Many times conflicts erupt in situations involving authority and submission. Christians respect authority since they know that all authority is established by God. When Christians rebel or fight against authority, they are fighting against God and his purposes. Christians must walk in humility and focus on cultivating a healthy respect for authority.
Finally, here is a vital component of humility: humility is prone to listen and to understand the opposing side. A person with humility will recognize that he or she lacks all the necessary information about any situation and may be wrong. If a Christian realizes that he is on the wrong side of an argument, he must be ready to repent and restore the relationship. As Christians practice humility and experience suffering in a vicious world, they know that they are on God’s side, since God sides with the humble.
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