Reading through the Bible, we find stories of war, conflict, conspiracy, and controversy, all things that may seem inconsistent with what we think should produce harmony. Can war actually result in peace? Can controversy yield a harvest of understanding? Can conflict be the context that facilitates God’s purpose?
Everything in the Bible is inspired by God yet written by humanity. Even this seems contradictory. How God Almighty co-authors His plan with mankind. How He involves people, knowing how flawed and imperfect we all are. This striking contrast, apparent clash and understated incompatibility seems conflicting in itself. Yet this is how God decided to communicate His divine authority to the rest of creation for all of time.
Speaking of conflict…Jesus gave certain lessons that seemed illogical. One of them being how He came as the Prince of Peace, as prophesied in Isaiah, yet He made comments like: “Think not that I come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).” This speaks of division, not peace. Yet examining the context, it’s the dividing of what’s temporal from what’s eternal, of what’s carnal from what’s spiritual, of what’s loyal to self from what’s loyal to God. Just as Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the Word that divides the soul and spirit, discerning the motives of the heart, Jesus was and is this very Word.
So how is conflict fruitful and how do we handle it? How do we view and interpret some of God’s seemingly unconventional methods?
Do we criticize and complain? Do we blame others? Do we question God when what He allows to take place in our lives creates conflict?
Didn’t the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15 result in advancing the Gospel through more ground being covered by their separation? Didn’t Jesus fulfill His purpose to go to the cross through the betrayal of Judas? Didn’t David develop the heart and leadership of a true king through Saul’s multiple attempts to assassinate him?
Was Joseph in the wrong to hide his identity from the brothers who had once tried to kill him? Wasn’t his conspiracy, whether guidance from God or his own mortal scheme, a strategy to test his brothers’ hearts until he knew that they were trustworthy? Did the conflict initially caused by his brothers or that which Joseph incited himself, cancel out God’s purpose? On the contrary, God’s plan was executed and recorded as an example of redemption, deliverance, forgiveness and restoration.
Though we may think peace looks a certain way, we often overlook the conflict that arises for it to be produced. We put emphasis on an outcome rather than the process, perceiving conflict to be bad without understanding the context of what God is accomplishing in us and those around us. When we view conflict differently, we show that we trust in God’s ability to make all things…even war…work together for our good.
