Bible Passage: “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9 NLT)
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Ephesians 6:10-20
Conflict seems to be the norm.
Every day, headlines feature fighting somewhere in the world. Politics is recognized more for its confrontation than its collaboration. Violence in sports is not only frequent but celebrated. Social media is flooded with viral clips of public fights. Sadly, even the Church isn’t immune to its share of conflicts.
Men, too, face conflicts in their careers, personal lives, and relationships. Sometimes, the conflict is deeply internal, mental, and emotional.
Thankfully, we are not alone in navigating this struggle. The Bible contains profound wisdom to help men. We need only look to the Apostle Paul, especially his second letter to the Corinthian church, for guidance.
This letter is an intensely personal, challenging, yet affectionate communication to the Corinthians.
Even after planting and nurturing the church, some continued to oppose his leadership, so Paul defends his ministry and expresses hope for the church through recounting numerous conflicts he faced.
Paul begins his letter by addressing these challenges, describing the depth of his struggles as crushing, overwhelming, and “beyond our ability to endure” (v. 8).
But instead of despair, Paul discovered a new level of reliance on God’s redemptive and resurrection power (v. 10).
Conflict is rarely simple and often involves complex situations and emotions. Paul realized that he didn’t have to be either dismissive of or discouraged by conflict.
There was another option—a third way.
When men face conflicts, it’s tempting to fall for these false assumptions:
- Conflict creates a world of either winners or losers (so I must win or I’m a loser!).
- It is a spiritual battle caused by the devil (so peace and prosperity equal God’s blessing!)
- It is a sign of masculinity (so I must always appear strong!)
- It can be buried and ignored (so I won’t have to deal with it!).
Conflict is rarely straightforward to understand or resolve. The real struggle might not be the “flesh and blood” right in front of us, but sometimes it’s the thing beneath the thing that causes the issue.
In a culture where conflict is so widespread, it is understandable why the Church is not exempt, and neither will we be immune to its effects and consequences.
This week, we’ll examine in 2 Corinthians how Paul was a genius at navigating a third way through conflict, and learn to find that third way by listening, learning, and leaning on God.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your presence and power that is available in the conflicts I face. Help me to lean more on you so I can become the man You created me to be. Amen.
Reflection: What is “the thing beneath the thing” in a current conflict you are facing? What does the struggle you’re in reveal about what is going on inside you? How might you view the conflict as a possibility to engage, not just a problem to be fought or avoided?
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