Friday Fight 208: Implicit or Explicit?

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF208.

How often have we dealt with a hurtful situation and did not want to address all the contributing factors yet desired a peaceful outcome? Do we push down our feelings or reject speaking truths to avoid disrupting our peace? Sometimes, we think that seeking a peaceful outcome means attaining an environment free from chaos, but what can this line of thinking do to the health of our spiritual walk? This post continues last week’s Friday Fight about peaceseekers and peacemakers.

Implicit or Explicit?

Let’s begin by examining the mindset of a person who is a peaceseeker. A person who seeks peace has good intentions and hopes that loving people through conflict is enough to move forward. Not wanting to address conflict or believing we are doing what is best for everyone can be misleading. Loving people is what God calls us to do, but this does not mean we leave conflict to resolve itself. We must be proactive in seeking peace.

The other problem of being a peacekeeper is with assumptions. Those seeking peace tend to assume everyone desires it and tries to get there through implication, but oftentimes only ends up manipulating the situation. Without an explicit road map, like with a peacemaker, those involved are unknowingly led in directional circles, hoping for a solution. The peacekeeper wants to avoid conflict and believes they are doing what is best. Leading people through conflict without a resolution means others are spinning in circles. Before long, chaos rules and inevitably creates more conflict. In trying to avoid division, a peacekeeper inadvertently creates it.

Now, let’s look at some attributes of Christ. Christ serves as an ultimate example of a peacemaker, with His life demonstrating purpose, a perfect model for us to follow. When we are explicit, we make our intentions clear and known and communicate our end goal. When addressing hurtful situations, peacemakers are explicit about their process. They let everyone know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. They speak clearly and arrive at the desired end state: Peace. The simplicity of having a direction with steadiness and clarity in addressing conflict cuts through the chaos surrounding the conflict. It gives them the best chance of finding a peaceful, unified solution. It won't exclude people from conflict or pain, but in being a peacemaker, they can guide people through it with minimal losses.

In Matthew 5, Jesus talks about not letting anger fester towards your brother or sister and how we should deal with this situation. If your brother or sister is angry at you, stop before the altar and reconcile with them before offering your gift. At no point does Jesus say just pretend it isn’t happening, just let it go. So this week, let’s be peacemakers, seek the heart of God, and ask for Wisdom in handling conflict explicitly and effectively, stopping Satan from manipulating our minds and having a stronghold in our relationships and lives.

Photo Credit: Michele LaSala

Pastor Shannon and

Pastor Robert

River Church