When you can’t decide who should get to play that keyboard and who has to go to the fellowship hall piano to practice, pick a number between one and 10! The number was seven.
I wish all conflict was that easy to resolve!
The Bible gives us some great ways to resolve conflict. Matthew 18 is probably the clearest passage on conflict resolution, but Acts 15 gives a great thought as well.
Acts 15:36-40 says, “And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; and Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.”
They both wanted to do good things. There was conflict. But they all kept serving the Lord despite the conflict.
Conflict should never motivate us to do wrong. And conflict never makes it ok for us to stop doing right or stop serving the Lord.
And Paul and Mark had restoration: 2 Timothy 4:11 says, “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”
Conflicts will arise. Let’s handle them Biblically.