from “the purpose driven life” by rich warren
many church fellowships and small groups remain superficial because they are afraid of conflict, whenever an issue pops up that might cause tension or discomfort, it is immediately glossed over in order to preserve a false sense of peace. Mr. “don’t rock the boat” jumps in and tries to smooth everyone’s ruffled feathers, the issue is never resolved, and everyone lives with an underlying frustration. everyone knows about the problem, but no one talks about it openly. Paul’s solution was straightforward: ” no more lies, no more pretense. tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. when you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself”
real fellowship, whether in a marriage, a friendship, or your church, depends on frankness. in fact, the tunnel of conflict is the passageway to intimacy in any relationship, until you care enough to confront and resolve the underlying barriers, you will never grow close to each other. When conflict is handled correctly, we grow closer to each other by facing and resolving our differences, the bible says “In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery”
from chapter 19 cultivating community
i could go on, we have done this study 3 times now since nov. 2003 and i want to go over it all again!
GOOD STUFF!