Navigating Family Conflict Resolution with Biblical Wisdom - Episode 14 of The Christian Career Mom
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[00:00:00] Welcome back friends to another episode of the Christian career mom. I'm your host, Katy B founder of covenant collections. And today we're diving into a topic that affects all of us conflict resolution within the family. We will explore common challenges delve into biblical wisdom for peaceful conflict resolution and uncover the importance of forgiveness humility and reconciliation so stay with me as we navigate through the pages of scripture to foster family harmony
Hey friends, it's Katy, host of the Christian Career Mom podcast, founder of Covenant Collections Christian Parenting Company, and author of Christian children's book, Happy Are the People. Whether it's your first time listening or you've been here with us before, the Christian Career Mom exists to remind us all that while busy is an often unavoidable state [00:01:00] of being, it is not a badge of honor and it is not a measure of our worth.
God gives us everything we will ever need to thrive in our careers, our personal lives, our families, and most importantly, our faith. We explore all the ways to tap into that God given grace here and find fulfillment in all areas of our lives. It's so important to have a supportive community to lean on, and that's exactly what we're here for.
So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite drink, find a cozy spot to listen, and let's dive in. It's you, babe.
Okay. Y'all so to start, let's acknowledge that no family is without conflict. There is common as the air. We breathe for some of us more than others, but everyone deals with conflict. So this is going to be relevant to you on whatever scale it is that it speaks to you. It's going to be helpful. So to highlight on social media, as a reminder that none of us are alone in dealing with these [00:02:00] things and I will do so anonymously. I promise. Please share your thoughts on family conflict. By reaching out to us through our social media channels, you can share a family conflict that you're going through right now, or one that you've already overcome. But send that over to me so I can highlight it. And you can find us at pretty much any social media except for Pinterest, because I just can't. But anywhere else. It's totally fine. Our website has all the links to socials and that's covenant collections.com. Or you can even go to the Christian career, mom.com and it'll link you over to my website. Now let's discuss some of the most common challenges we face and family conflicts. Challenge number one is misunderstandings. Misunderstandings are often the root cause. Of most family disputes. These can be triggered by a variety of factors, including miscommunication. Unrealistic [00:03:00] expectations. And at times, even just simply a lack of active listening. Challenge number two is unsurprisingly emotions. Emotions can run high within our families leading to irrational decisions and even heated arguments. We're often super attached to our loved ones. Which makes sense. But that's also why disagreements can stir up stronger feelings than they would if we were dealing with somebody else. Challenge number three is pride. And this one's a real kicker admitting our faults and asking for forgiveness can be tough. And for many, it's a bitter pill to swallow. A lot of us are only open to apologizing. If someone else does it first. Or if they act in the way we want them to first, and that is pride. So how can we address these challenges in a manner that also aligns with our faith? Obviously we have to turn to the Bible for guidance to help us navigate these [00:04:00] challenges in the way that helps us achieve the best possible outcomes. And the first lesson we're given in scripture is forgiveness. In Ephesians four verse 32. The Bible reminds us to forgive as God forgave us. Forgiveness is a cornerstone of resolving conflicts in our families. So let's talk about how we can genuinely forgive and move forward. Some key steps to effectively forgive others. Is recognizing first that forgiveness is not a sign of weakness. It doesn't mean that you lost. It's actually a great sign of strength. It's a conscious choice to free yourself from the burden of anger, resentment, and pain. And to do this, you have to first acknowledge your feelings. It's okay. That you're hurt and you're angry and you're in pain. You can not pretend that you don't feel these things and effectively choose to forgive in any lasting way. [00:05:00] Confront your emotions, honestly. Next we need to empathize with the other person. We need to try to understand their perspective. This is not to justify their actions, but it helps to understand their motivations and humanize them. We are all imperfect. This is going to help you ultimately release any resentment. Let it go with a conscious decision to free yourself from these negative emotions, pray for wisdom and understanding from God and pray that he gives you the strength to release these feelings and not take them back. Many of us are bad about laying these feelings down one day. And picking them right back up the next. Usually we do this out of fear that we could be heard again. But holding onto these things will never allow true forgiveness. For protection, we can set boundaries and it's entirely okay to set healthy boundaries. We don't have to allow harmful behavior to continue in [00:06:00] order to release any and all grudges. But grudges will damage not only the relationship at stake, but also your own health and wellbeing. And often neglected step in forgiveness as being kind to yourself. This piece is essential in order to learn. Be strengthened and move forward. Forgiveness is a process and it can take some time. I just remember that it's not only a gift to the other person. It's a directive from God and it's a gift to yourself.
Our next lesson from scripture is humility. And Proverbs 11 verse two teaches us that with humility comes wisdom. And with pride comes disgrace. So how can we set aside our pride and embrace humility in conflict resolution, embracing humility in conflict resolution involves recognizing your own imperfections, actively listening, empathizing with the other person's [00:07:00] perspective. Avoiding blame and defensiveness and admitting your mistakes. When they're reasonable using I statements seeking common ground and offering sincere apologies can help maintain humility during disagreements. It's essential to prioritize the relationship over winning the argument. Practice forgiveness. And remember that conflicts are opportunities for your personal growth as well as growth in that relationship. By setting aside pride and embracing humility. You can foster understanding reconciliation and harmonious relationships in your family. All guided by biblical wisdom. And then we have reconciliation. Second Corinthians five verse 18 says all this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ. How can we apply this principle [00:08:00] to mend broken relationships within our family? This scripture goes on to mention how true reconciliation from God is not counting our sins against us. So following his lead, as we should always strive to do. Would mean mending the relationship in a way that releases fault and does not hold grudges. True forgiveness does not leave room for holding on to the conflict. In other words, extending grace is going to be our greatest asset here. Remember that the ultimate goal is to rebuild trust and harmony among family members. And very few things deserve more grace from us than this. Some forgiveness will be easy and other issues can cut us deeply to our core. Uh, whether we make it easily through these steps. Or struggle for quite some time. I want to give some deeper guidance for those situations that might require a more sensitive touch. I find personally. So much [00:09:00] comfort in the roadmap that God gives us for navigating life. There's nothing. I mean, there's literally nothing we could face that God does not prepare us for, or that he will not guide us through. Matthew 18 verse 15 says if your brother or sister sins go and point out their fault just between the two of you. This first, beautifully emphasizes addressing issues privately and with love. I like to think this is a protection from the way that sharing with others about concerns or gossiping. Can sometimes lead to them being enhanced and blown up based on that outside perception. Plus the stories we tell ourselves from assumptions on the other behaviors and validation of our own point of view. If we do that prior to taking the time and effort to consider and understand this person's perspective. And scripture almost tries to protect [00:10:00] us from adding all this extra into it. Just go point out their fault to them directly just between the two of you. A lot of people also feel that to live like Jesus and be a good Christian. We have to bite our tongues all the time. And just shove it all down and bottle it all up inside. And that's not what we're told to do. This scripture almost acts as sort of permission that it's okay to feel conflict and that the goal is conflict resolution. James four verses one through two says what causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires, that battle within you. Here we delve into the root causes of conflicts and how to address them. Later in this scripture, we're warned against judging others. And often holding grudges leads into this territory. Our motives and our human desires for what we want, what we think we deserve. The expectations we place on others [00:11:00] and the deep grasp of control, we try to hold on to. Can really be the truth behind these conflicts. And last for today because this one's super important. Colassians three verse 13. Bear with each other. And forgive one another. If any of you has grievance against someone forgive as the Lord forgave you that's our wake-up call. We could never offer forgiveness to the degree that God has offered to us. And yet that's what we're instructed to do. So next time you're facing the obstacle of forgiving someone in your family. Someone you truly love and, you know, truly loves you. And the obstacle is between you and a happier, peaceful, more harmonious home. Spend some time in the scriptures and take it to God and prayer. Ask for the strength and the guidance you need to resolve the conflict you're facing. While it's not easy. It's something you never have to do alone because he is with us [00:12:00] always. So, thank you all for joining me on this dive into conflict resolution within our families, maintaining strong family relations. Relationships is extremely important to me. Which is why many of the resources and the content I create for you all leads us back to that ultimate goal. As a reminder, if you've not yet claimed your copy of the ultimate parent child bonding journal that is free for a limited time. Make sure you go do that [email protected] slash bonding, which I will link in the podcast show notes and in the YouTube description. That's 59 pages of amazing exercises, prompts, and guides to strengthen the parent child bond for any ages. So today we've explored common challenges, discovered biblical wisdom for peaceful conflict resolution and found guidance within scripture. Let's remember always that we can draw strength from our faith to navigate these [00:13:00] challenges and create family harmony. If you enjoyed this episode. Please consider leaving us a review on your favorite podcast platform. It really helps us spread the message of faith and family. And it makes a huge difference towards the positive impact that we're able to have. God bless.
Let me say something else. Um, what I can say then? Hope you like the podcast!
I just learned how to say it! Leave my mommy in the blue!
I'm learning!
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