No one likes conflict. As a matter of fact, if you like conflict, there is something really weird about you. All of us ultimately want peace. We want things to go well – in our family, in our job, in every area of our life.
Well, the truth of the matter is, conflict is part and parcel of our everyday lives. How do we ever think that two, or three, or four, or ten deeply-wounded people could ever be together, work together in a harmonious way without acknowledging conflict and finding ways to bring about resolution?
Paula and I have talked to literally hundreds of couples over the years who have said, “We never fight.” But all of a sudden, Bubba just simply walked out. Yup, that’s it, isn’t it? What happens too often because we fear conflict and confronting, we simply stuff it down. And the more you deny and submerge true conflict and anger, the more your emotions deaden so that over time you don’t feel anything. The problem is the anger, and the hurt is still there and oftentimes comes out as a burst of rage.
That’s why this weekend at The Gathering we’re going to deal with the 8 commitments of casualty-free confrontation.
Here is the truth about marriage, family, any relationship. You will either fight for your marriage or against your marriage, and, if you avoid it long enough, you’ll lose your marriage.