Joyce Meyer - Conflict Free Living: How to Build Healthy Relationships for Life

Conflict

FREE
Living

JOYCE MEYER

Most CHARISMA HOUSE BOOK GROUP products are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs. For details, write Charisma House Book Group, 600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, or telephone (407) 333-0600.

CONFLICT-FREE LIVING by Joyce Meyer
Published by Charisma House
Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
www.charismahouse.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Amplified Bible. Old Testament copyright 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright 1954, 1958, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked WNT are from the Worrell New Testament. Copyright 1985 by Gospel Publishing House. Used by permission.

Copyright 2008, 2012 by Joyce Meyer
All rights reserved

Cover design by Marvin Eans
Design Director: Bill Johnson
Author photograph by Dario Acosta
Visit the authors website at www.joycemeyer.org.

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-61638-651-1
E-book ISBN: 978-1-59979-356-6

The Library of Congress has catalogued the previous edition as follows:

Meyer, Joyce, 1943
Conflict-free living / Joyce M
p. cm.
Rev. ed.: Life without strife. 2000.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-59979-062-6
1. Conflict management--Religious aspects--Christianity. 2. Interpersonal conflict--Religious aspects--Christianity. 3. Christian life. I. Meyer, Joyce, 1943- Life without strife. II. Title.
BV4597.53.C58M48 2008
248.4--dc22

2007032372

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication.

This publication is translated in Spanish under the title Una vida sin conflictos, copyright 2008 by Joyce Meyer, published by Casa Creacin, a Charisma Media company. All rights reserved.

Previously published as Life Without Strife by Charisma House, ISBN 0-88419-734-4, copyright 1995, 2000.

Contents

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Hosea 4:6

Who is blind but My servant?

Isaiah 42:19

W E WERE CREATED TO LIVE IN THE LOVE AND excitement of harmonious relationships, free from dissension, confusion, and hurt. God wants our lives to be free from division; He wants us to live in peace with each other, yet such a life often eludes most of us. Instead, conflict wreaks havoc in our lives, leaving us wounded and alienated from one another. It is:

Ending our marriages

Embittering our children

Alienating our friends and co-workers

Splitting our churches

Bankrupting our health

Stealing our peace of mind and heart

I know because my life and ministry were once in danger of being destroyed by conflict and strife. My prayer is that as you read the following pages, your eyes will be opened and that you will see, more clearly than ever before, the destructive effects that conflict and dissension can have on your lifeand that you will never again fail to recognize strife or confront it.

Jesus gave us His peace for our protection. We are to hold our peace and let peace be the umpire in every situation (Exod. 14:14; Col. 3:15). We should crave peace and pursue it and be makers and maintainers of peace (Ps. 34:14; Matt. 5:9).

If we want to experience Gods blessing and power, we must resist the devils attempts to stir up strife.

Gods Word contains some wonderful promises for the peaceful, including Psalm 37:37: Mark the blameless man and behold the upright, for there is a happy end for the man of peace. Think of it. If you are a person of peaceif you learn to resist conflict and strifeyou will experience happiness. God says that His children will inherit righteousness, peace, and joy. The kingdom of God consists of these three things, but few who claim Christ as their Savior actually experience these benefits in their everyday lives. Satan deceives, lies, and beguiles believers through a lack of knowledge or the unwillingness to apply the knowledge we have.

God has instructed us to put on the full armor of God so that we can defeat the devil in every one of his strategies and deceits. (See Ephesians 6:1018.) If we want to experience Gods blessing and power, we must resist the devils attempts to stir up strife. We must be on guard, because the devil roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour (1 Pet. 5:8).

If relationship problems have plagued your life, then this book is for you. If you are wondering why you dont experience spiritual power in your life and ministry, even though you are serving God and doing all you know to do, then this book is for you. If you are confused about why you are missing out on the blessings that God promises to His children, then this book is for you.

In it we are going to explore why so many of our relationships are the opposite of what Jesus promised and what we can do to enjoy the life God wants us to have. In part 1 you will learn how to recognize strife so that you can, in turn, resist it. In part 2 you will discover how to heal your troubled relationships. And in part 3, you will learn how you can unleash Gods power and blessing in your life.

At the end of each chapter you will find a section devoted to summary and reflection. This section is designed to help you apply the insights you learn in each chapter. It will give you dynamic keys for discerning the roots and symptoms of conflict and strife so that you can enjoy trouble-free relationships.

Read on, and learn how your life and relationships can be full of harmony and power and blessing.

Part I
Identifying the Telltale Signs

O NE EVENING MY HUSBAND, DAVE, AND I WERE going to pick up another couple to take them out to dinner. We had only been to their home one time, and it had been quite awhile since that first visit. On our way there, Dave turned to me and said, I dont think I remember how to get to the house.

Oh, well, I do! I promptly told him, and then proceeded to give him directions.

I really dont think that is the right way to go, he said.

Dave, you never listen to me! I said. My tone and body language let him know that I did not appreciate his challenging me. At my persistence, Dave finally agreed to follow my directions. I told him that our friends lived in a brown house on a cul-de-sac at the end of such-and-such street. As we drove, I gave him directions for all the turns.