By NICK VILLALOBOS, Editor in Chief
Conflicts are inevitable in today’s world.
Whether it is two people not seeing eye-to-eye on a matter, or a group of people rioting in light of the presidential election results, conflicts are everywhere.
In a devotional by Rick Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest California, he explained how gentleness diffuses conflict, disarms critics, is persuasive, attractive and communicates love.
When facing a conflict, whatever it may be, the best way to approach it is by doing it gently.
Yes, it is going to be probably the hardest obstacle a person ever may face by turning against their human nature, which is to fight back when challenged, but in the end, there will be blessings that come from it.
Warren described in the devotional that he and his wife Kay have been married for nearly 40 years, and at times neither of them have seen eye-to-eye on every situation.
He said at times he would hurt her, and at other times, she would hurt him.
Instead of calling it quits though, both of them worked through the situation with gentleness. They forgave one another and moved past the conflict.
In the world today, there is conflict everywhere.
Friends and families are breaking apart, Americans are going crazy over the new president-elect and countries continue to wage war against one another.
Gentleness diffuses conflict, disarms critics, is persuasive, attractive and communicates love though.
By standing up against the conflict with gentleness instead of strife, however, every conflict can be extinguished.
Whether it is two people not seeing eye-to-eye on a matter, or a group of people rioting in light of the presidential election results, every giant will fall with gentleness.
Warren added in his devotional about gentleness that whenever an argument transpires between two people, instead of a person raising their voice in response to someone raising theirs, that person should lower their voice.
It might sound weird yes, but Warren’s reasoning behind it is that by refraining from raising their voice to match the opposing voice, a person is in fact practicing strength under control.
So, when faced with conflict, whatever it may be, approach it with gentleness and not strife.