By Yarilis Hidalgo-Placeres, BBA, MA
When we hear the word conflict, we immediately think of something negative because it can mean moments of tension in our environment or culture.
If we look at Jesus’ ministry, we will see that his walk was filled with conflict even before he was born. Remember the conflict that caused Joseph to know that his fiancée Mary was pregnant before she married him. Later we can see how Jesus was in conflictive situations and what He did to turn those situations into blessings and thanksgivings.
Conflict will always be present in the lives of each of us. It will exist where there are human beings because there are many differences of opinions, emotions, convictions, and priorities between our interpersonal relationships and in the groups to which we belong. God created us as unique and different beings; therefore, there will always be differences between us. It is important that we strive to be good stewards of the teachings that Jesus has given us. We must work to reduce the conflicts that surround us since conflicts are inevitable by the integration of one with another.
Take a few minutes and analyze whether your approach to conflict is negative or positive. If your approach is positive, you will believe that it is an opportunity for growth, strengthening, courage, clarification, and enrichment. Conversely, if your approach is negative, you will think it is destructive, hostile, threatening, and distancing. On many occasions, we create obstacles ourselves. We spend a great deal of time resolving the conflicts of others around us when we must first work with our own situations.
The conflicts that exist within us are known as intrapersonal; conflicts that occur between two or more people are called interpersonal. The causes of conflictive situations include the following: the perspective of each person, interdependence, cultural differences, generational differences, different objectives, poor communication, clash of values, relationships, and needs.
For conflict to be a good experience, avoid the response of escape or attack. Let’s think about creating spaces of peace and ask ourselves the following questions:
- How can I benefit the other party in this situation?
- How can I assume my responsibility?
- How can I help the other party assume its responsibility? and
- How can I bring a reasonable solution to both parties?
These questions will help us to reduce the barriers that we may encounter, such as prejudices, lack of empathy, fears, and little control of emotions.
Some people adopt different styles to resolve conflicts. Some ignore the conflict altogether; others are competitive and do not employ the adaptive style in which both parties get what they want. We can all resolve and be intermediaries in a conflict. If a resolution cannot be found, the important thing is to recognize it and seek help from a third party.
It is important that we look for the causes of the conflict, determine what both sides want, identify alternatives, summarize the agreements reached, look for opportunities to recognize progress,and evaluate the results.
Finally, let us affirm the Word of the Lord that exhorts us in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (NIV).
By Yarilis Hidalgo-Placeres, BBA, MA
When we hear the word conflict, we immediately think of something negative because it can mean moments of tension in our environment or culture.
If we look at Jesus’ ministry, we will see that his walk was filled with conflict even before he was born. Remember the conflict that caused Joseph to know that his fiancée Mary was pregnant before she married him. Later we can see how Jesus was in conflictive situations and what He did to turn those situations into blessings and thanksgivings.
Conflict will always be present in the lives of each of us. It will exist where there are human beings because there are many differences of opinions, emotions, convictions, and priorities between our interpersonal relationships and in the groups to which we belong. God created us as unique and different beings; therefore, there will always be differences between us. It is important that we strive to be good stewards of the teachings that Jesus has given us. We must work to reduce the conflicts that surround us since conflicts are inevitable by the integration of one with another.
Take a few minutes and analyze whether your approach to conflict is negative or positive. If your approach is positive, you will believe that it is an opportunity for growth, strengthening, courage, clarification, and enrichment. Conversely, if your approach is negative, you will think it is destructive, hostile, threatening, and distancing. On many occasions, we create obstacles ourselves. We spend a great deal of time resolving the conflicts of others around us when we must first work with our own situations.
The conflicts that exist within us are known as intrapersonal; conflicts that occur between two or more people are called interpersonal. The causes of conflictive situations include the following: the perspective of each person, interdependence, cultural differences, generational differences, different objectives, poor communication, clash of values, relationships, and needs.
For conflict to be a good experience, avoid the response of escape or attack. Let’s think about creating spaces of peace and ask ourselves the following questions:
These questions will help us to reduce the barriers that we may encounter, such as prejudices, lack of empathy, fears, and little control of emotions.
Some people adopt different styles to resolve conflicts. Some ignore the conflict altogether; others are competitive and do not employ the adaptive style in which both parties get what they want. We can all resolve and be intermediaries in a conflict. If a resolution cannot be found, the important thing is to recognize it and seek help from a third party.
It is important that we look for the causes of the conflict, determine what both sides want, identify alternatives, summarize the agreements reached, look for opportunities to recognize progress,and evaluate the results.
Finally, let us affirm the Word of the Lord that exhorts us in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (NIV).