Resolving Conflict

Q: Is there a Biblical framework for solving conflict? I mean when we get into an argument with someone, how do we solve it? Is there some principle in the Bible that would work in any situation?

A: Yes, there is. Read chapters 5, 6, & 7 in the book of Matthew. It's Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and contains a variety of principles for healthy living. People are human and flawed. So we have the inherent drift toward conflict with each other. The only way to avoid or resolve that conflict is to focus on points of agreement instead of points of disagreement.

If my wife and I cannot agree on which sofa to purchase, let's back away from the sofa shopping exercise and look for some point of agreement above the sofa. Maybe it's the style of the room, the level of comfort we want, or the amount and type of entertaining that we'd like to do. Or if we can't agree on how many children we want, let's back away from that conversation and talk about why we want children, what kind of family we think we'd like to have, etc.

If you look for them, there will always be something that you can agree on that will be higher in priority than the point you're disagreeing on. So when you run into a disagreement, stop and go back to one of those points of agreement. From there, you'll find the compromise or the resolution to the conflict.