Working Things Out

We all have had to live with someone at some point in our lives. Some of us grew up with two parents. Some of us only had one. Many of us had brothers or sisters, then perhaps roommates or spouses. We all know after the newness wears off of relationships, issues begin to come out. There are issues about different opinions, ideas and lifestyles. When these issues, begin to surface, it is time to begin working things out.

The issues that surface in a relationship, whether it is family, friends, sweetheart or coworkers, surface for a reason. There is something where one person has an opinion about one thing and decides to share it with another. As long as we hold things in, however, we aren’t doing the relationship any good and we aren’t making progress for change. When we share things with one another we learn about each other and we learn how to resolve issues.

There is not always going to be a perfect solution that will please everyone in every situation. There will be disagreements, discussions and decisions that always will upset someone. However, the best thing to do is to bring the issue out, calmly listen to all sides and then discuss what needs to be done next. It would be good to really listen and understand what the other person is saying and how they are feeling. When we do that, we are doing all we can to ensure we can find a solution for everyone.

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

When we take time to work things out in a relationship, we are getting past a barrier that, perhaps, the devil is trying to put up so we will begin to have problems. When we take time to work things out and we pray about the relationship as we go along, we are going to find God’s solution to the problems. When we look to God to help us make things work out, we will know we are on the right track to reaching the goal He wants us to reach.

Going to God with the problems we have in relationships will help us to know His answer. He will give us the words to say to the other person. He will keep us calm so we don’t lose our temper as we talk with them. He will help us to reach a solution that is what He wants rather than what we want. All parties involved in the issue should know that God has the best answer for them. That is how He can begin to work things out.

When we go to God when issues occur where there are disagreements or dissension, God will let us know when it is time to speak up and what words to say. When we are confronted with problems and don’t know what to do, God will be there to give us the answer we need. It is so important we don’t attempt to work things out on our own. If we work out issues without God, we can’t make the difference He wants us to make.