Article June 1, 1998 Issue

Conflict resolution

How prayer broke a deadlock

By Barbara Smith Bernheimer

Disagreement Seems To be everywhere you look these days. Workers at the office, neighbors, family members—all may find relations strained, sometimes even hostile. Some would argue that "no matter what feeling, incidents, and controversies place you at odds with someone else, control issues and poor communication are the underlying problems."^{Caren Goldman, "It's negotiable: resolving conflicts for the win/win," Avenues, June 1996, p. 27 .} Yet, learning about divine control, which God holds over all His creation, helps defuse such challenges.

Many men and women in the Bible, people who loved God, looked to Him when facing hostile situations. Their trust in His omnipotence, His love for all, and His perfect justice enabled them to end conflict fairly. When two women embroiled in a bitter struggle over the ownership of a child came to Solomon, he ended the dispute instantly with a fairness and love that no one questioned (see I Kings 3:16–29). His decision appealed to the unselfed love of the true mother and restored the child to her. Afterward, the people "saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment."

When Christ Jesus found himself in the midst of angry men, accusing a woman of adultery and threatening to stone her, he didn't side with either party (see John 8:1–11). Although he himself was as much the target of their hostility as the woman, he didn't retaliate in kind either. He sent the matter back to each one's individual conscience, saying, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

IN NEXT WEEK'S SENTINEL