Conflict with others is one of God's mysterious, counterintuitive ways of rescuing us from ourselves. God uses it to get us where he wants to take us before we die. Because we don't usually think that trials can be used in such a positive way, this truth catches us by surprise. But it shouldn't.

God is simply taking you where you do not want to go to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own.

We shouldn't be surprised when suffering and difficulty come our way; in fact, we should probably be surprised when they don't.

Notice how much Israel's response to hardship maps onto ours. We face hard things and we complain about things as mundane as a menu. Before long, our complaining becomes an assessment of blame. Then the blaming goes vertical as it questions God's wisdom and goodness. We, too, are in the wilderness of a fallen world. We have not yet entered the Promised Land of eternity, so we face hardships like Israel did.

God is not working for our comfort and ease; he is working on our growth. At the very moment we are tempted to question his faithfulness, he is fulfilling his redemptive promises to us. After all, it's not like there are only some people who really need to change. Change is the norm for everyone, and God is always at work to complete this process in us.

If you choose to face conflict head on, it is full of risks and the potential for great hurt, but it can also be redemptive.

Along with that, the Bible continually reminds us that God sends the uncomfortable grace of trial not to crush or discourage us, but to mature and refine us. As we are realistic about difficulty, that needs to be our hope.

Remember, you can't avoid conflict, but it can be a place where amazing growth takes place!

Understand that conflict is one way God works in our lives

This side of heaven, relationships and ministry are always shaped in the forge of struggle.

Suffering is one very long moment. We cannot divide it by seasons. We can only record its moods, and chronicle their return.

Life, Lady Stutfield, is simply a mauvais quart d'heure made up of exquisite moments