Why Conflict is Important to Your Story - Encouragement for Today - July 23, 2018

Peace and perspective from God's timeless truths. [View this email in your browser]( Encouragement for Today --------------------------------------------------------------- [Glynnis Whitwer] July 23, 2018 Why Conflict is Important to Your Story [GLYNNIS WHITWER]( “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” [2 Corinthians 4:17]( (NIV) Shutting the moving van door, I turned to face the house we’d lived in for 18 years. Waves of memories washed over me as I pictured all the first-day-of-school photos, birthday parties and bedtime prayers. Tears stung my eyes with those sweet memories. But then, without warning, other memories surfaced. All those 18 years weren’t easy. There were many hard moments … arguments, childhood disobedience, financial challenges and even more painful experiences as we raised children who joined our family from a war-torn country. Resentment started to rise in my heart at the intrusion of those hard memories into what I’d wanted to be my last sweet moment in front of my home. But then I clearly heard God speak to my heart, saying: Every good story has conflict. I had to chuckle, because as an avid book reader and movie watcher, I know that. Even the tamest Hallmark movie has some kind of conflict. We wouldn’t stick with a book very long without conflict. Storytellers know that conflict engages the listener. We’re drawn into the challenge, suffering and, ultimately, promise of resolution. Conflict highlights what’s important to us; it illuminates our character and forces us to make decisions. But perhaps the greatest draw of conflict is the promise of resolution — where what seemed futile and hopeless gains meaning. The Bible is filled with stories of conflict and resolution — woven into the human experience. Perhaps one of the greatest stories is Joseph and his brothers, found in [Genesis 37-50](. As the second-to-youngest son, he surely lived a life of ease, until he made his brothers jealous, and they sold him into slavery. Fast forward a few years, and Joseph leads all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. The story has multiple twists and turns in the middle, but eventually the brothers reunite when a famine sends them to Egypt for food, and they discover Joseph is now in charge. Joseph’s heart is tender and forgiving toward his brothers, and he speaks words that echo to this day for all of us who wonder if anything good can come out of the conflict we are experiencing: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” ([Genesis 50:20]( NIV). Getting in my car, I wiped the sweat from my face and thought about how God used conflict in my life. Nothing I experienced surprised Him, nor did it go to waste. I could see how those conflicts made me a kinder, more grace-giving person. I no longer judged others for what had previously seemed like weakness in their lives. I’d been brought to my knees more than once and no longer wrapped pride around me like a banner of honor. Maybe the greatest benefit of all the conflicts was a greater dependency on God. The girl who thought she could solve every problem by working harder or smarter was gone. In her place was a more humble woman who knew that without God, she’d be lost. [Continue reading...]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Subscription Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( --------------------------------------------------------------- © 2018 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Encouragement for Today. [Link](