Know when to walk away

TODAY'S READING: Luke 4:14-30
Have you ever been in one of those situations where someone becomes unreasonable? I am sure you have. A conflict arises and someone's emotions completely take them over. It doesn't matter what you say, they will not take time to even listen.
This is what happened to Jesus. Actually what is even more amazing is the change that takes place. One minute "All who were there spoke well of him and were amazed by the gracious words that fell from his lips." But only minutes later "the people in the synagogue were furious."
Often when people's emotions take over and they struggle to think clearly things can get out of control. When Jesus faced this type of conflict He quietly slipped away.
There are times we need to simply walk away from conflict for a time. If someone is being unreasonable or emotions are flaring, there is nothing wrong with getting out of that situation.
That being said, we must be willing to revisit the conflict. This is especially true when it is a one-on-one situation. But there are times it is good to take a little time for emotions to calm. When we can take a "deep breath" and then talk about things the outcome is often much better.
Emotions are a difficult thing to deal with at times. As we discussed earlier this week, anger left to brew can become more intense. But there are also times when anger in the heat of the moment can be just as destructive. Have you ever been in a heated conflict and said something you wish you could take back? I could probably write a book full of these things.
When we slow down and consider the situation we can make the best choice. And there are times we will decide it is better to wait a few minutes or hours before addressing a conflict. But this is not an excuse to avoid it.
As you face conflicts look at the examples of Jesus. He faced a variety of conflicts and dealt with them in different ways. Every situation must be considered separately. We like to have a "one answer fits all" solution to life, but it's not that simple. When we allow Jesus' wisdom and example to become a part of who we are, we will become much more effective at dealing with conflict. And that will allow us to show the love of Jesus to everyone, even those we may disagree with or have conflicts with.

shine!
Jason