God made us for relationships, a relationship with Him, and relationships with one another.
Life is about relationships. Satan’s goal is to disrupt relationships and divide us, which he started with Adam and Eve. One of his primary ways to divide is through conflict. God uses people to bless us and for our growth. The devil uses people to disrupt us and try to destroy our lives.
When we have conflict and division, we disinvite God from our circles. His essence is love, peace, and unity, as in the operation of the Godhead; oneness. He desires that we have loving relationships. He says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
God’s nature and the theme that runs throughout the Bible is love. Outside of yourself, only two categories of relationship exist; (1) relationship with God, (2) relationship with others. Relationships are meant to flow with love. Only when we have an appropriate relationship with God can we have the right relationship with ourselves and others. Jesus gave evidence of relationship importance when He responded to a question regarding which is the greatest commandment.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
Love is a relationship and is central to and the pinnacle of God’s command to us. Love is the connector that ties believers relationships together, as described in Colossians 3:14. Moreover, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us we are nothing without love, like sounding brass and tinkling cymbal – just sharp, piercing noise without heart. Love is more than words. It is an action. We show love by our behavior. Thus, the best approach to resolve conflict is a relationship of love, which we can accomplish love through God’s Spirit in us.
