Conflict Redemptively Not Destructively

Scotty Smith:  A Prayer for Freedom from Christian Cannibalism

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Gal. 5:13-15

Dear Lord Jesus, we are exceedingly grateful that the gospel is more like an irresistible subpoena than a polite invitation. Our need is so great and we are so stubborn, we cannot respond to the gospel apart from the Spirit’s strong summons.

Indeed, the gospel is a life-giving subpoena—the means by which you call us from death to life and from slavery to freedom. We were just as dead and bound in grave clothes as Lazarus was when you spoke the words, “Come forth,” and you raised us from spiritual death.

We praise you today for the effectually sovereign, death-defeating, liberty-giving power of the gospel. Those you set free are free indeed, and the freedom to which you’ve called us is to define the rest of our days and permeate every area of our lives.

This is nowhere more necessary than in the world of our relationships. You have called us to love one another as you love us, Jesus—the confirming mark of true discipleship (John 13:34). But as in Galatia, so in our churches, marriages and friendships, we often fail miserably. At times our grace-less attitudes and actions result in “Christian cannibalism”—a biting and devouring of one another. When we do so, we sabotage your glory and veil your beauty. We lie about who you are and what it means to be in relationship with you. We give non-believers an opportunity to blaspheme your name and mock your church. Cut us to the heart with the ugliness we offer the watching world.

Grant us godly grief and gospel repentance for acting like relational piranha—nibbling on others’ brokenness and inconsistencies more than we feast on your grace and love. Forgive us for holding onto un-forgiveness just to gain advantage in a relationship or minimize our sin. Forgive our rehearsing the sins of others more than we remember the way you’ve forgiven us. Forgive us for being petty rather than patient; critical rather than compassionate; mean rather than merciful. Help us know when overlooking the failures of others wouldn’t be cowardly or co-dependent, but courageous. Help us learn how to conflict redemptively, rather than destructively.

Lord Jesus, we are irrepressibly and eternally free because of what you’ve accomplished for us by your death and resurrection. Help us steward this costly freedom today in our world and web of broken people and broken relationships. So very Amen we pray, in your glorious and grace-full name.