Category: conflict

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Verses for surviving life…

My grandmother gave me some Bible passages on my wedding day, verses on how to survive life. She understood how unpredictable it could be. So, I would like to share them with you…

  1. Keep calm and carry on – My grandmother encouraged me to ‘Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.’ (from Psalm 37:8-10). She reminded me that God is our defender, and he will take care of those who are evil. Ours is to keep calm and trust in him.

2. Don’t give up – Tears are only for a season. ‘As they pass through the Valley of Baka (or Weeping), they make it a place of springs… For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose way is blameless’ (Psalm 84:6, 11). With God, things will turn out okay.

3. Protect yourself – These verses start off with a word that means, ‘beware,’ ‘take heed,’ or ‘be on guard.’ It implies observation and keeping our distance. In the original, however, it has a deeper meaning – to put a hedge about (as with thorns), to guard, to protect, to preserve, to save.[i] In the original it was all about defence. And just as God is our defender, he shows us how to defend ourselves.

    ‘[Guard yourself, protect yourself, preserve yourself, save yourself from] your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer’ (verse 4 from Jeremiah 9:4-8).

    4. Stay strong – My grandmother warned that there are manipulators out there. They figure out our heart and then use it to control us. If it is religion, they will get all religious. If it is our passions, they will say these are theirs as well. But Jesus forewarns us. ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many’ (from Matthew 24:3-13).

    5. Stay rested – If you are like me, you will end up exhausted. But my grandmother reminds us that in our tiredness, Jesus says: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus enables us to find quiet and peace. He helps us to emotionally take a break.

    6. Keep praying – In our all groans and moans, we might not even know what to pray. But Jesus understands, without us saying a single word. For the Bible says that ‘The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans’ (Romans 8:26). My grandmother reminds us that our groans are valid and that Jesus turns them into S.O.S. prayers.

    7. Keep trusting – The final verse (the one I have also quoted most in my life) is this: ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28). As we look back at what has happened in our lives – the good, the bad, our mistakes and successes – if we look, we can see God’s hand. We can begin to understand what he has been doing all along. And we will say, ‘Why did I ever worry or distrust?’

    My grandmother was so right…

    [i] Hebrew for ‘beware’ – https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8104.htm

    (photo by cottonrbro studio – pexels.com)

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    Ruined…

    Recently, bulldozers moved in, levelling a wood and meadow. The carnage was brutal, with splintered branches and uprooted trees. And when those bulldozers moved out, they left behind a permanent change.

    So, why did I think it could be any different with relationships? For some reason, I thought that when a destructive person moved away, everything would snap back to normal. I thought that people could simply bounce back into being happy and whole, that things would be okay.

    Now I know it takes a long time to rebuild. I know the scenery has permanently changed. But, there is hope. With God, I am working at pushing broken logs to one side. Maybe kindness and love will take root.

    (photo by Boris Hamer: pexels.com)

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    Ending the war in our mind…

    All sorts of voices can fill our minds. Belligerent ones of those who condemn. Gentle ones of those who love. But the loud ones often win the battle in taking over our minds.

    I had thought that if ever those loud voices ceased, the battle would stop. It didn’t. My mind filled up with hurt instead, and this became as loud as those condemnations.

    It has taken me years to stop the war. It came through writing those condemnations down, recording in detail what happened. And then I discovered why I kept reliving my past – I didn’t want to ever forget it. But by moving it from my mind to paper, enabled the memories to keep on going, just not inside my head.

    Writing can end the war in our minds. And then we can hear the gentler voices around.

    (photo by Lance Reis: pexels.com)

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    We can see…

    In the beginning, God was there in the darkness and confusion. But then he spoke, ‘Light, come!’ And what he set in motion still is.

    Each of us had a beginning and it was in darkness. But then in our births we came into light. God set us in motion and we still are. Yet, he wants to speak again today, as we experience other darknesses and confusions. He says, ‘Light, come!’

    He sets in motion something new, if only we could stop and look – a scary new path, a unexpected opportunity, or an undiscovered talent we never knew we had. And if we walk in what we see, we can share that light with others. For, beginnings are a gift we can accept and give.

    (photo by Pixabay: www.pexels.com)

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    What is conflict?

    Conflict is sparks flying. It is emotions rising. It is experiencing what most of us think we would rather avoid. Yet, sometimes conflict is necessary. When we speak up for the slandered. When we defend the defenseless. When we risk our reputation to protect the innocent.

    But our actions can only resolve part of the problem. The slandered might still feel worthless. The defenseless might still feel powerless. And, the innocent might still feel betrayed. These are reactions that continue to harm.

    Conflict then shows us another face. It fights for the hearts that sink into despair. It fights against the lies that drag them there. Yes, conflict is sometimes called love.