3 R ULES FOR A DDRESSING C ONFLICT
this person’ s heart would make him or her even more of a blessing to our heavenly Father.
R ULE #2: C HOOSE F ORGIVENESS
If we were to apply Jesus’ advice today, we wouldn’t deal with offenses by ignoring them or by condemning the people responsible. We would forgive endlessly, just as Jesus graciously forgives us. When we don’t forgive other people, we are essentially saying that God’s forgiveness was not sufficient. True lovers of Christ forgive because they understand how much God has forgiven them. Love is not just a feeling; it’s an action. We can show our love for Christ by forgiving as He does. We don’t have a choice. We must forgive each other in order to grow, and doing so can bring rewards we never dreamed of. When we invite Jesus into our lives, we must surrender entirely to Him. This includes learning to love like He loves and forgive like He forgives. When we forgive our brothers and sisters, we show the type of sacrificial love the world desperately needs. When we refuse to forgive, the devil is getting a nice, snug spot where he can rest his foot as he tries to gain victory over our lives. We need to let our brothers and sisters know when they hurt us and give them a chance to apologize. If we don’t, we run the risk of holding on to the pain and allowing Satan a chance to gain control.
R ULE #3: T AKE A R ISK
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