It’s estimated that as many as a billion people have died in wars throughout human history. One billion! The 20^th century with its two world wars and weapons of mass destruction accounts for a not insignificant proportion of those deaths! And there are still around 135 state and non-state based “armed conflicts” raging today. What’s the matter with us?

So, let’s bring this all a bit closer to home. How’s the level of conflict in your life – the people with whom you’ve clashed, those from whom you’re isolated, those of whom you think ill, those who want to do you harm?

Almost everyone has some level of personal conflict going on in their lives, and it eats away at your heart. Now, you might be thinking, “Well, no. Actually there’s no one.”

But what about that person at work who annoys the living daylights out of you, that neighbour who’s constantly playing loud music? And so, you ruminate over their bad behaviour, thinking unhealthy thoughts about them.

Conflict is an awful thing and it can’t always be avoided. But there’s something we can do, you and I, in how we deal with it in our hearts and minds:

1 Peter 3:8 So all of you should live together in peace. Try to understand each other. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Be kind and humble.

The Apostle Peter wrote that to a bunch of Christians undergoing terrible persecution in the 1^st Century AD.

So far as it’s up to us, God’s saying through him, we can choose to bring an attitude of peace into a place of conflict. We can try to understand what’s driving the other person, and to love them. We can choose kindness and humility … whatever level of conflict we might find ourselves in. We can choose … so choose!

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.