Pastor Steven Furtick

When conflict comes, you’ve got two options:
Fight it or Ride it.
And those are your only two options, the way I see it.  Because the conflict is coming whether you embrace it or not.

If you choose to fight it-that is, resent that it’s happening and resist its implications-I promise you’ll end up frustrated, sore, and no closer to closure than you were at the start.  Obviously, this makes for a terrible strategy.  But you’d be surprised how often people opt to fight against the wind.

Many churches fight technological and methodological advancement, pining for the good old days.  Meanwhile their pews get less crowded, offerings dwindle, and infighting increases.  It’s a losing battle.

I often fight against relational conflict, wishing the other person would just get their act together so I wouldn’t have to deal with this intrusion upon my peace of mind.  So far, my wishing away the perceived inadequacies of another has never affected relational change.

So, I suggest we resolve to stop fighting conflict.  Instead, we’ll learn to ride it.  Look at it like a wave.  It’s going to come crashing whether we welcome it or not.  So we might as well let it take us somewhere.