Article September 23, 2019 Issue

Resolving conflict by recognizing God’s goodness

Sandra M. Justad

Originally published on sentinel.christianscience.com and in The Christian Science Monitor’s Christian Science Perspective column, July 29, 2019.

Compromise is not a dirty word, though it’s often seen that way.

A stubborn refusal to budge can be disastrous to relationships and progress. On the other hand, solutions emerge when we are willing to listen to others rather than lumping them into negative categories simply because their viewpoints are different from ours.

In my efforts to do better at this, I’ve found inspiration in the Bible. Jesus’ ministry taught respect for honest hearts. Christ Jesus emphasized the inclusive nature of God’s love through a story of a lost sheep. From a large flock, one sheep had strayed. The shepherd wasn’t about to lose even one animal, so he searched until he found it and joyously returned the sheep safely to the flock (see Matthew 18:11–14).

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