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Nehemiahs 5 Steps for Handling Conflict
By Rick Warren
In Nehemiah 5 the Israelites face conflict for the same reason
we do today selfishness. So whatcan we learn from Nehemiah about
handling conflict?
1. Get angry. (v. 6)Nehemiah didnt ignore the !roblem" he took
it seriously. When the unity of
your church gets challenged" its your #ob to !rotect the unity
of your church. Its serious
business.
In times like this anger is com!letely a!!ro!riate and right.
$here is the right kind of anger andthe wrong kind of
anger.Leadership is knowing the difference.% !astor who doesnt
ha&e
enough fire in his belly to get angry about disunity isnt much
of a leader.
. !hin" #efore yo$ spea". (v. %) If you only do ste! one and
ignore ste! two" youll get in lots
of trouble. Nehemiah 5'( says" )I !ondered them in my mind.*
Nehemiah sto!!ed" got alonewith +od and thought about what he was
going to do. ,e asked +od" )What do -/ want me to
do?*
-ou should get angry when disunity threatens your church" but
you ha&e to think before you act.
-ou cant #ust act on that anger. 0ames 1'1234 says"
)6&eryone should be 7uick to listen" slow tos!eak and slow to
become angry"because human anger does not !roduce the righteousness
that
+od desires.* I&e seen a lot of leaders who were &ery
effecti&e for the 8ord and blow their
ministry in an im!ulsi&e moment. 9ont let that ha!!en to
you. +et angry" but then take some
time to think and !ray about what you do ne:t. &. 'e#$"e the
person individ$ally. ;&. (
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!aying most of the e:!enses to rebuild the wall. It took guts to
confront them !ublicly.
-ou too ha&e to deal with !roblems to the degree that they
are known. If the !roblem has s!read
to the whole church" then you ha&e to deal with the !roblem
!ublicly.
5. Set an e+ample of $nselfishness. (v. 1&)Nehemiah led the
way in unselfishness. It was thefoundation of his leadershi!. When
he asked them to rebuild the wall" he was out on the wall
rebuilding it. When he asked them to !ray" he had already been
!raying. When he asked them to
work night and day to get it built" he did the same. When he
asked them to hel! the !oor" we findout in &erse 1 hed already
been doing it.
Nehemiah ne&er asked anyone to do what he wasnt already
doing or willing to do.Leaders only
ask others to do what they are already doing.If you cannot
challenge someone to follow your
e:am!le" whate&er you say to them is going to lose its
im!act. Dhurches ha&e fewer conflictswhen their leaders
li&e unselfishly and model that to the congregation.
-oure going to ha&e disagreements in your church. $heres no
!erfect church. But +od wants usto minimiEe disunity in our church
for ,is glory. $he testimony of a church should not be the
beautiful buildings" great sermons" or lo&ely music F but
how they lo&e one another.
