WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT CONFRONTING
 
We can all agree that, while conflicts and misunderstandings are an inevitable part of any relationship, the lasting hurts and barriers between us does not have to be. As we survey the landscape of our relationships the number of unresolved conflicts lying around. It can resemble a minefield. Someone gets hurt with each misplaced step. So we end up avoiding certain people, certain places, and certain topics. Families learn to live this way and so do churches. This means we can learn to stop living this way if we want. What Jesus taught is the fastest and surest way to stop. He told us that we need to confront each other. Again, it is not easy to do, but it is easier than any alternative we can come up with on our own.
 
The word confront comes from two Latin words: com (which means, together) and frons (which means, forehead or front). It describes two people meeting face-to-face to talk. Although it is not a Bible word, the concept is referred to in Matthew 18. It is important to our spiritual, mental, and social well-being that we learn to confront and do it often. The alternative is to keep everything bottled up, letting bitterness set in. When this happens, it will poison our spiritual life.
 
In Matthew 18, Jesus told us how to confront those who have offended us. He did not teach us this because it is easy, but we will find that it is easier than any of the alternatives we can come up with on our own.