Conflict

Many people have a problem with conflict, trying to avoid it as much as possible, but if you are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ it is inevitable.  There are so many conflicting views today, it is impossible to avoid conflict, even if you try hard not to offend anyone.  If you are a follower of Christ, you will try to imitate Him and He ran into conflict many times, a lot of it being from the religious leaders in His day, the ones that should have known who He was and stood with Him.  Jesus wasn’t here to condemn the world but He came so that the world through Him might be saved.  

Think about this, there was never a person that came to Jesus seeking something from Him that went away disappointed except those that were just trying to trick Him to find fault with Him so that they could condemn Him.  Every person that came to Him for healing or deliverance or even to have someone they knew raised from the dead went away rejoicing; to say nothing about the crippled man that took up his bed and walked and those that were blind who walked away seeing and the deaf who went on their way hearing.  Jesus came to set the captive free and that is what He did.  

Jesus also came to proclaim the truth and He did that also, but that became a problem because many in His day didn’t want to hear the truth because of their lifestyles.  Many of the religious leaders became jealous of Him and His popularity and their jealousy turned to hatred, bitterness, un-forgiveness, rage and retaliation and in the end being responsible for His death.  The thing that He came to set the people free of became the cause of His death and that is called sin.  The Word says that, “the wages of sin is death.”  The horrific thing was that Jesus never sinned, He never did anything wrong but there were many in His day that hated Him.  

When Jesus prepared His followers for conflict, these are some of the things He told them, found in Matthew 10:16-23, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Jesus’ followers, as well as Himself, knew a lot about conflict, and also persecution which often resulted from conflict.  

Jesus also spoke some encouraging words to His follows to help them endure and not give up He said this to them in verses 26-31, “Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

We are no better than Jesus and His followers and, if we are not ashamed of the Lord and don’t shrink back from the truth, we will also run into conflicts at times.  

Jesus also gave His followers this message and I believe all these things were meant for us also, saying this in verses 32-40 of that same chapter, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”  

So don’t be shocked when you run into conflict while testifying and sharing what the Lord has done in your life, it is bound to happen, but don’t be discouraged and never give up because in the end it will be worth it all.  I have given you something to think about and I hope the Lord uses this, along with all the other Tidbits, to minister to each person who reads them in a special way.  May the good Lord bless you and yours and may He give you a blessed day and don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!