We All Have Conflicts - Scott McCown

Friday is "guest blogger" day here on The Practice, and this Friday we have Scott McCown. Be sure to check out his blog, The Morning Drive.
We all have conflicts. They start in infancy and continue throughout adulthood.Conflict is neither positive nor negative, conflict simply is. The key to conflict islearning how to deal with conflict and resolving conflict when it arises. The bestway to deal with conflict is the method found in Jesus’ teachings in Matthew5:23-24 and 18:15-17.

Matthew 5:23-24, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there rememberthat your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altarand go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court,lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, andyou be put in prison. (ESV)”

Matthew 18:15-17, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault,between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every chargemay be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses tolisten to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church,let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (ESV)”

The following six steps to conflict resolution come from a summary of Jesus’teaching in the verses above:

1. You recognize that a conflict exists.

2. You GO.

3. YOU go to the other person.

4. You go to them in PRIVATE.

5. You BOTH discuss the issue.

6. You discuss the issue for the purpose of RECONCILIATION.

How do you handle conflict?

-Scott McCown