There Are 3 Sides To Every Conflict

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.’ (Proverbs 15:18)

We find the US is at a crossroads, where Texas and 25 states have come together to defend Texas’ border with Mexico, along the Rio Grande, while the Federal Government has implied that Texas is wrong to do so, and wrong to stop federal authorities to work within a park along the river in Eagle Pass.  Tensions are high as both sides believe they are correct.

The proverbial author of Proverbs 15:18 saw and understood similar conflicts, perhaps with or without the emotions behind it like this.  As my Dad used to say, there are three sides to every conflict.  On one side is Texas and its allies, who believe that they are right; there has been a failure to secure the border and it now falls upon Texans to do so.  The other side is the Federal Government (and possibly several of the other 24 states) who believe otherwise, that Texas is overstepping its authority.  Somewhere, in the middle of these two opposing viewpoints is the Truth.

Not every conflict is ‘black and white’, but varies in shades of grey.  The ‘proverbist’ describes the one who is hot-tempered as ready to start the conflict, whether it be an argument or a brawl.  The hot-tempered man (or woman) sees every conflict as yes or no, black or white, ‘my way or the highway’.  His way is the ‘only way’, his way must be done ‘now’, and that stubbornness to refuse to discuss or debate forces confrontation. 

The patient man (or woman) is different; as described in Psalm 103:8 and elsewhere, they are like God, ‘slow to anger’, abounding in love’.  The patient man attempts, with patience and wisdom,  to find ways to either mitigate or resolve conflict peacefully, understanding the timing to act may not be now but better at a later date.  There may be other ways to resolve the conflict to consider before acting in haste, to plan and ensure the response is proper and in everyone’s best interests.

As with all conflicts, it is best all parties involved seek God’s wisdom and counsel first.  Even if one party seeks God’s counsel, it can prevent actions that harm others.  Not every conflict will end in peace, and there are times God has permitted battles and fights to occur to best lay out His plans.  While we pray for peace, God does not want us to be naïve, but to desire to follow Him and walk away in possible,  but be prepared to ‘fight’ if necessary.  Let us pray that His way prevails in our hearts.