Confrontation is a sticking point for many people. Upon reaching an impasse with someone in our family, our workplace, our neighborhood, or our church, we’d much rather avoid it than confront it. It feels easier to sweep the event under the rug or to press it down inside of us. At face value, this seems like the less painful option.
More often than not, however, the thing just won’t let us go. Each time we see that person or think of them, the impasse rises up to meet us. Thank God He has given us clear instructions for moments such as these.
God tells us to go directly to that person and let them know. Work it out between the two of you, Jesus says to us. The passage in Matthew 18 is dealing specifically with sin in the body of Christ, but God has shown me the principles outlined in the verses of that chapter apply when dealing with misunderstandings, too. Jesus raises two important points in one short verse.
First, he instructs us to go to that person and tell them what they’ve done.
Secondly, we are admonished to keep it just between the two of us. Don’t broadcast the disagreement. Don’t shine a spotlight on the situation for all to see. Go quietly, with humility and respect, and, together, face the offense.
There are courses we can take, books we can read, and podcasts we can listen to which give us specific techniques for dealing with confrontation, but I’ve found the very best instruction right in the pages of God’s Word.
I hear people say all the time they don't have the gift for counseling but as taught in Jay Adam's books, all believers are counselors.
If you have ever witnessed sometimes it leads to counseling with a rededication to Jesus Christ.
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