Resolve Conflicts

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   Ever have someone do something to you that was mean spirited and it hurt?  Now for the tougher question…Ever do something to another person that was mean spirited and hurtful, or where you wanted to get back at a person who hurt you?  
   Truth is, every one of us has hurt someone, sometimes unintentionally but normally, we intended to cause some level of pain.  Then, we shrug it off as an accident or justify in our minds that the person deserved what was coming to them.  It is easy be talking to someone face to face (or even texting) and rip on another person who is not even involved in the conversation.  Another thing that is easy to do is to hurt someone whether by how we treat the person or what we say and totally justify our actions.
   Jesus was big time into building relationships with people (one reason why He physically came to earth).  He, being perfect, never hurt, gossiped or ripped on another person.  Don’t you wish you could treat people the same way?
   Treating people with respect and as Jesus would, is very important to Jesus because He spoke a lot on how to treat people.  One time He said he was giving his apostles a new commandment to, “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples (John 13:34-35).  Letting people know that you belong to Jesus means to love people.  
   How do you love yourself?  You want the best for yourself, you don’t want to be treated unfairly and rudely.  You want to have people like you.  You don’t want to people to gossip or lie about you, or make you look bad to others.  You don’t want people to physically, or sexually hurt you.  You wanted someone to tell you about Jesus so that you could have your sins forgiven and be offered eternity in heaven rather than forever in hell.  In the same way that is how we are to treat others and by doing that you show your love for Jesus.
   Another time Jesus told the apostles that relationships between people are more important than performing spiritual activities when he said, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” (Matthew 5:23-24).  Do the most important thing first, go make things right between the person that either hurt you or you hurt, then do your spiritual activity like praying, reading the Bible or serving others.  
   Years ago, I read that more than half of the people in institutions for those with mental issues were there because of unresolved conflict.  They were holding a grudge, keeping anger inside, wanting to hurt another person, envious, jealous; something that was affecting them so much mentally (and probably physically) that they could no longer function normally in society.  That is sad.  Many Christians have something against another person and will not follow what Jesus said to do because they have too much pride, pain or may not totally understand the level of forgiveness Jesus offered to them when He died on the cross for them.  
   If you have something against another person, whether you did it to them or they did it to you, go get it resolved.  It will help your spiritual, physical and emotional health.  Let people see the love of Jesus flowing through you and represent Jesus well!

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