During interpersonal conflict, when do you compete? Compete means we will pursue our own interest at the expense of another’s, making the perceived task of greater importance than the relationship. It usually implies a zero sum game. We will win while the other person equally loses. Proverbs says that wisdom will save us from wicked […]
Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles: Compete (Proverbs 2:12, 16; 19:8)
Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles: Compromise (Proverbs 25:8)
During interpersonal conflict, when do you compromise? Compromise is moderate toward another’s interest and moderate toward our interest. Each party in the conflict gives in a little. Consequently, we should compromise when both choices at hand are acceptable to us. The key word is acceptable. In conflict, if we can accept both choices (our initial […]
Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles (Proverbs 3:5-6)
How do you manage conflict? Solomon realized that we were guaranteed conflict (two objects attempting to occupy the same space at the same time), so he left us nearly 1,000 wise sayings for conflict management. Psychologists describe a grid of five conflict management styles, each determined by our perspective of another person’s interest versus that […]
Don’t Trust in the Gifts (Philippians 4:14-23)
Do you believe in God’s principle of replenishment, or do you worry about having enough resources to be content? In our fallenness, we have a tendency to trust in only what we can see. Paul called the Church at Philippi to trust in the Giver, not the gifts (Philippians 4:14-23). Charlatan philosophers of Paul’s day […]