30 for 30 RESET – Day 13

Gatheringplace   -   September 13, 2024

The most important area of your life that you will need to do constant resets in is in your relationships. Life works through relationships, and it does not work without them. You were created for relationships. But relationships can be hard because we are all imperfect people. We have conflict almost every day, so getting good at conflict resolution is crucial if you are going to live a joyful life.

It takes courage to approach someone you have conflict with to tell them you want to sit down and work things out. But most relationships are worth it. So here are a few things you can do that will help you have success in this area.

First, reset yourself. Go to God and ask Him to help you reset your posture towards this person. Ask Him to soften your heart and to give you His perspective on the issue. Then ask God to help you get the log (judgement) out of your own eye so that you will be able to see things clearly when you meet.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 NIV

What Jesus is saying here is that most conflicts involve some level of sin on both sides, but without dealing with the judgment, anger, or even hatred in your own heart, your emotions will be too heightened to be able to see the issues clearly.

Ask God what it is that you must own in the conflict first. Once you are clear on that, begin with that. When you meet, do not begin by telling the other person how they have hurt you. Begin by taking ownership of how you may have hurt them. This humility will set the tone for the rest of the meeting.

Secondly, do resets during the meeting. If things begin getting heated, suggest a reset. Just say, “Let’s take a minute to reset.” Maybe go into another room or take a walk outside. During those moments, ask God to help you calm down, regain His perspective, then start again.

Finally, reset the relationship. Once the conflict has been resolved, do not bring the past hurt into the future of that relationship.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 NIV

This may seem overly simplistic, but these principles hold true. Doing resets before, during, and after a conflict will give your relationship the best chance of being a renewed source of joy for both of you.

John

  1. What relationships in your life need your attention? What part of the conflict can you own?

During your prayer time today, ask God to soften your heart, give you His perspective, and give you the courage to make the call.

QUICK TIP ON HOW TO SPEND 30 MINUTES WITH GOD (REMEMBER: This 30 for 30 is a tool to help you, not a rule to shame you. Just do your best and let God do the rest.)

“Upward, Inward, and Outward”

  1. Upward: Get quiet. Settle down. Begin to thank God for Who He is – patient, kind, merciful. A God Who forgives sins – Who has forgiven your sins. A God Who cares, Who listens to your prayers, a miracle-working God. (There are many other attributes you can thank Him for. Go HERE for a prayer guide as well as a list of God’s names that will help you thank Him for Who He is)
  2. Inward: Read a chapter in the Bible. I would suggest one Psalm per day. Start with Psalm 1 and go from there. Or read one chapter of Proverbs per day. Start with Proverbs 1 and go from there. And as you read, stop, and think about what it is saying. Take your time (even if you do not get through an entire chapter – it is okay!). Ask God to speak to you through it.

A deeper dive: For those of you who would like to read the Bible in a year, here is a fantastic way to do it. It will take more than 30 minutes per day, but it will be well worth it. It not only gives you a reading plan but each day there is a short, very well-produced video explaining what you are about to read. Go HERE for your one year through the Bible reading plan.

  1. Outward: Ask God to show you how He can use you to reach those around you. Then begin to pray specifically for individuals. Pray for your family members, your boss, co-workers, classmates, friends, your church, its members, its mission, and its leadership. Pray for our city and our nation – that God would rule and reign in every mountain of influence, raising up leaders who fear Him: Church, Family, Government, Education, Media, Entertainment/Arts, and Business. You will not be able to get to everything in 30 minutes, but that is okay, just pick an area or two per day.

PRAYER POINTS

Personal:

  • Closeness with God
  • Deeper devotion to Christ
  • Renewed vision
  • Renewed passion
  • Strength
  • Joy
  • A profound commitment to act as Jesus would during this election year.

Church:

  • And increase of God’s manifest presence.
  • To see more CHANGED LIVES!
  • An increase in Miracles
  • Salvation for those far from God (make a list and pray for them every day)
  • More young people joining the vision at GPC.
  • New building for GPC

World:

  • A mighty harvest in our city and nation.
  • That godly men and women will fill the seats of government at local, city, state, and national levels.
  • For our missionaries (Use the bookmark handed out at church, or go to our website and check out our Missions page HERE)