Conflict - we’ve all been here, am I right? Maybe it’s a conflict with a friend, a co-worker, a spouse, or a parent. Conflict doesn’t seem to spare anyone from its sneaky tactics. We rarely see a conflict coming. And if we did, maybe it would never happen or we’d walk into a little more prepared. But conflict is normally less than predictable; it’s weirdly sneaky.
In Genesis 3, we can read how sneaky and crafty the idea of conflict is. The snake, Genesis tells us, was the craftiest of all creatures. This same creature would be the one to trick Eve into believing God didn’t have his best in mind for her or Adam. He set the trap, Eve took the bait, and ever since then the world has been in conflict; conflict with God and with one another.
Before sin, the Garden of Eden was a good and holy place. God walked and talked with Adam and Eve as friends. All creatures were in harmony with one another. The holiness, harmony, and relationships of the garden is something we all long for. But, sin. Sin created conflict within nature, humanity, and no person on earth can escape the reality of conflict.
So, now that the garden is not our present reality, how do we live in this tension of holiness and conflict? Thankfully we have a God who is too good to leave us where we’re at. He gives us a rescue, a next step, a victory that can only be won because of him. Conflict is a part of our earthly reality, but it doesn’t have to have the final word.
Paul, a man who understood much conflict, said - “Perhaps we reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us (Acts 17:27).” Perhaps, in the midst of conflict, we pause, reflect, and lean towards the one who is never far from us. Perhaps we reach towards a God who understands conflict, who walked through conflict, and died so that conflict doesn’t rule the day.
If you find yourself in the middle of a deep, dreaded conflict today, reach out to the one who is never too far away. He can handle the hurt, he can handle the misunderstanding, he can handle the baggage you feel conflict has left you with - reach out to Jesus, he’s waiting to take your hand.
