A few years ago, the New York Times ran an article about how to deal with difficult people. They reported on the cottage industry of seminars, workbooks, and multimedia tools to help people “co-exist with those they wish did not exist.”
There’s a ready audience for any resource that helps people resolve conflicts they’re in. But what about conflicts they see? In other words, when people we care about are at odds with each other, do we have any responsibility to intervene? We tend to just shake our head in dismay and otherwise ignore the problem. Instead, we should look for ways to bring peace between people we care about.
Paul once addressed two battling believers by name: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2). But Paul didn’t stop with his plea to the two women. He then turned to a third person whom he simply called “my true companion” and asked him or her to “help these women” make peace (Philippians 4:3).
Sometimes we’re like Euodia and Syntyche: we need to solve a conflict we’re in. But sometimes God expects us to be like Paul’s unnamed “true companion”: we need to solve a conflict we see.
Two thousand years later, the only thing we know of these two women is their feud. Wouldn’t it be sad if the only memory people had of you was some unsolved spat? Our wintertime sermon series can keep that from happening. It’s called “Getting Along.” Most of the topics we’re covering can help you settle some issue you have with another person at work or school or church or the neighborhood.
But the ministry of mediation is part of conflict resolution, too. Getting into the thick of disputes and helping people solve them is hard work. It’s also rewarding work. Come learn more about it this Sunday at 10am on campus or online.
Tom
If you want to review the first three installments in the “Getting Along” series, go to our “Sermons” page, or our YouTube channel or our podcast.
Tom Goodman serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter. If someone forwarded this email newsletter to you, sign up here to receive Tom’s weekly devotional in your email inbox.