June Hunt - Conflict Resolution: Solving Your People Problems

The printed version of this eBook is the Conflict Resolution: Solving Your People Problems book, ISBN-13: 9781596366473

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Conflict Resolution: Solving Your People Problems
Copyright 2013 Hope For The Heart
All rights reserved.
Published by Aspire Press
An imprint of Hendrickson Publishing Group
Rose Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 3473
Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473 USA
www.HendricksonPublishingGroup.com

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Solving Your People Problems

JUNE HUNT

• Diagnoses the root of disharmony in your home or relationships and how to reconcile conflict.
• Gives wisdom, tips and insight from June Hunt, one of the world's leading biblical counselors whose life's work has yielded landmark contributions in her field.
• Points to Gods principles of peace.

Dear Friend,

Are you afraid of conflict? In your vocabulary, does the word conflict spellt-r-o-u-b-l-e?

When you hear the word conflict, what do you picture? A fighting family? A feuding friendship?

Ill have to admit, when I hear the word conflict, my natural tendency is to do anything to avoid it ! Yet as I think about the serious conflicts Ive had in my lifemy most difficult relationshipsI see times of greater personal growth than if the conflicts had not existed.

And because of these difficult relationships, I became aware of lessons I needed to learn, not only about others, but more importantly, about needed changes in my own attitudes and actions. Had everything been peaceful, I honestly do not believe I would have stretched my ways of thinking or changed as I needed to change.

Years ago I heard this insightful statement, Never to be angry, never to disagree at all seems to most of us a sign not of love but of indifference.

We, obviously, live in a world of differences. You are not identical to anyone. Your background, even within your family, will be different from a brother or a sister because you are in a different birth order.

Even if you were an identical twin, you would have been born with a different temperament; people would be interacting with you differently. Inevitably, you would have differences of opinion .

And, of course, these differing opinions are the breeding ground for conflict. Be aware, if you are an avoider of conflict (like I have been), that will also bring on conflict. So if we cant avoid conflict, what are we to do?

The answer is not to be an avoidera peace at any price personto let people have their way. (Ive changed from this ... I really, really have!) Neither is the answer to be an attacker, to have it my way. The solution is not retreating or reacting but responding to conflict appropriately.

And why is this important? So that you can live with right priorities, experience personal growth, and display that deepest peacethe peace that passes all understanding.

My prayer is that, through these pages, you will not only learn different ways of dealing with conflicts, but that, most of all, you will become the person God created you to be.

Yours in the Lords hope,

I have never yet known the spirit of God to work where the Lords people were divided.

D.L. Moody

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Solving Your People Problems

Living in obscurity as a Jewish orphan, she seemed the least likely candidate to be the mediatorthe only mediatorto possibly save her people from sure destruction. However, the Lord knew her heart, and He knew she would face the most severe conflict of her life with complete humility.

The entire conflict arose because of conniving Haman, a royal official in the kings court, who devised a plot to murder every Jewish person in the empire. His fury had been flamed by a man who refused to bow down to himnamely, Esthers cousin Mordecai, who had raised her. Little did Esther know that she would carry the fate of the Jewish people on her shoulders as she faced a conflict of epic proportions. Yet Mordecai aptly posed ...

Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 ESV)

Just how does Esther, this unknown young woman, become queen? After days of feasting, King Ahasuerus (King Xerxes) is merry with wine and wants to show off the beauty of his wife before the people and nobles. He summons seven attendants to send for her. However, Queen Vashti refuses to come. The king becomes enraged.

At the advice of his closest counselors, the king issues a royal decree: Queen Vashti can never again enter into the kings presence, and she will be replaced! (Esther 1:19). With this new edict, the outward conflict between the king and queen appears to be resolved. But the resolution of one conflict sometimes gives rise to anothernow the king has no queen. And because of the queens haughtiness, the kings advisors felt they had to take action or else throughout the land.

There will be no end of disrespect and discord. (Esther 1:18)

In order to avoid discord and conflict among the people, a major search ensues. All the beautiful young virgins in the land are rounded up so that the girl who pleases the king would be selected as queen (Esther 2:4). Esther, described as a young woman who was lovely to look at , quickly gains favor. At cousin Mordecais instruction, she does not reveal her heritage. After a full year, Esther is finally taken to the king and he, loved Esther more than all the women ... and made her queen instead of Vashti (Esther 2:17 ESV).

The plan for alleviating the loneliness of the king puts Esther on the path of Gods divine purposebut also on a collision course with a conflict of colossal proportions.

• Conflicts are disagreements, struggles, or battles over opposing issues or principles.
• Conflictus , the Latin word, means an act of striking together or clashing with.
• Conflict , in Greek, is often the word agon , from which the English word agony is derived. Originally meaning a place of conflict, this word came to mean the actual conflict itself and later any kind of conflict, struggle, or strife. The apostle Paul said, I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. (Colossians 2:1)

Now a personal power struggle begins when corrupt Haman, the top royal official, becomes infuriated with Mordecai, who day after day refuses to bow down to him.

Meanwhile, wise Mordecai uncovers a plot that ultimately saves the kings life. Haman is so outraged that, when he discovers Mordecai is a Jew, he manipulates getting a royal decree from the king mandating the massacre of all the Jewsevery man, woman, and child. Haman has won the conflict. He will get his homage, but at a very highand horrific cost .