The Christian Way to Solve Conflict

Experts of all kinds have their own ways of trying to solve the world problems and the harder they try the further behind the problem we seem to end of up.  Many say because the roads to settling conflicts are bulky and complicated.  Well I disagree; my thought is conflicts of all kind can easily be settled by following the word of God.  A small piece of my argument is below.

The Middle East Conflict centers around what the Israelites want and what Hamas say they deserve but it goes much deeper than that.  Neither will ever be satisfied if they were able to get everything that they desire, why because their opposition to each other has nothing to do with policies, procedures or ideology.   It is simply a misguided romance with material things and nothing more.  Same can be said about the Religious Right in this country and the ignorance of both parties which govern our nation.  It’s about who is more powerful and more influential and yes also the same simple misguided romance with material things.    The Book of James Chapter 4 explains it quite well.  “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?  Isn’t it because there is a whole army of evil desires within you?  You want what you don’t have, so you kill to get it.  You long for what others have, and can’t afford it, so you start a fight to take it away from them.  And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it.  And even when you do ask you don’t get it because your whole aim is wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure.”  Same can be said about those who rob and steal, taking what belongs to another because they feel entitled or God did not answer them fast enough.  You don’t have to believe me, pick up you Bible and read it for yourself.

From the Book of 1 John Chapter 2 verse 15 says “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God.”  The lesson here is coveting material possessions and putting more effort into maintain them instead of securing your salvation will find you without any of it because in the same chapter verse 17 we learn that “and this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden  things will go with it.”  So gather all the marbles you wish but know now that no amount of marbles will secure your salvation or gain you access to eternal life and passage through the gates of heaven.

First John Chapter 2 verse 9 through 11 tells us “Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man, is still in darkness.  But whoever loves his fellow man is walking in the light and can see his way without stumbling around in the darkness and sin.  For he who dislikes his brother is wandering in spiritual darkness and doesn’t know where he is going, for the darkness has made him blind so that he cannot see the way.”  The lesson here is you cannot launch rockets into populated areas or use military actions against your brothers, sisters and fellow man without having even the slightest dislike for him.  This does not match well with anyone claiming to be of God or even justified by his will.

The hypocritical religious leaders who claim the title of Christian while telling you that God hates when the Bible tells you that God is love, attempts to lead you astray.  They say that one group or another are sinners and we all should sever ties with them and treat them as lepers’.  This is also a lie and is easily disproven by reading a few passages from the Bible itself.  They do all this claiming to save a sinner’s soul while they ignore all the sins that they, themselves, commit.  They ignore the sins of those who do their bidding or believe as they do.  We say that we should not covet yet we covet our positions of power.  We pretend that we are without fault while making known all the faults of others.    We chase the big houses, fancy cars, expensive clothes and luxury boxes while forgetting that it is God who has sacrificed much more than any of us ever will.    He sacrificed his only son for all our sins and to give a better way to him through his son.  We forget and need to be reminded by 1^st Peter Chapter 2 verse 11 “Dear brothers, you are only visitors here.  Since your real home is in heaven I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls.”    1^st John Chapter 3 takes it a few steps further saying  “But if someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won’t help him-how can God’s love be within him?”   As a very good friend once said, only God can forgive your sins and no man can save your soul.  Want to settle conflicts, remind them of their initial charge that God was with them then show them in the Bible where God says no.