The First Step Toward Resolving Conflict - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - May 24, 2023

The First Step Toward Resolving Conflict
By Rick Warren

“Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? . . . You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:3, 5 (NCV)

One of the most important life skills you need to learn is conflict resolution. If you don’t learn it, you’ll spend much of your life miserable—because we’re imperfect people and we have conflict almost every day of our lives.

To resolve conflict, you’re going to have to make the first move. And to do that, you’re going to have to ask for God’s help.

It takes courage to approach someone you are in conflict with and tell them you want to sit down and work it out. Once you’ve taken that step, you don’t start with what the other person has done wrong; you don’t make accusations or list ways you’ve been hurt. You start with what you’ve done wrong.

You can always find something to confess. Even if the conflict is 99.99 percent the other person’s fault, you can admit your part. Maybe it was your poor response or your attitude. Maybe it was the way you walked away.

You have weaknesses in your life that others see clearly but you’ve never seen. Those are your blind spots. That’s why you need to come to conflict resolution with a humble heart and begin with your own faults.

Jesus said, “Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? . . . You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:3, 5 NCV).

What’s the piece of wood in your eye that is keeping you from seeing the situation clearly? Don’t start with all the ways the other person has hurt you until you’ve confessed your part of the conflict first.

Did you cause conflict by being insensitive? Or were you overly sensitive? Did you not show compassion for the person who was hurting? Were you being overly demanding? What are your blind spots? 

Once you figure them out and confess them, you’ll be ready for the next step in conflict resolution.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Live a Life Powered by the Love of Jesus!

God wants you to know how deeply loved you are—and to let that love lead your life decisions!

Learn how with Pastor Rick’s 40 Days of Love Bible Study, our thanks for your gift to reach more people around the world with the message of God’s love through Daily Hope.

In this six-session video study with companion workbook, Pastor Rick shares practical, Christ-centered teaching to help you authentically love God and love your neighbor. By focusing on patience, kindness, truth, and forgiveness, you’ll discover how to let God’s love lead you into the full life he has for you!

So ask for your copy when you give below and thank you for your partnership!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.