[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”48px”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_empty_space height=”16px”][vc_single_image image=”20366″ img_size=”large” alignment=”right”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the God character in the story changes his mind. God repents of divine violence and promises to never do that again. That’s the key to the story of the flood. The God character models for us how to repent from our own violence. Whether it’s an annoying neighbor, family member, or co-worker, we are often tempted to respond with anger or resentment. But what if, like the God character in the story, we repented and found another way?<\/p>\n

I struggle with resentment a lot. I don’t like conflict. I tend to ignore it. But ignoring conflict only makes me more resentful, which can lead me to bottle up my anger, only for it to explode later. Part of God’s problem in the story is that God was passive-aggressive, kind of like me. God didn’t deal with the problem of violence right away, and so it just continued to build until divine violence exploded with catastrophic results.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”16px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there is a better way. I frequently think that if I talk with people about a conflict that it will merely escalate it. But the opposite is the case. If I can calmly say something like, “Hey, I noticed recently that you said X and I was confused by what you meant. Could you explain that to me?” that it actually builds trust between us. It’s a way of telling someone that their comment was hurtful without being aggressive. And frequently what I perceived as a slight was a misunderstanding.<\/p>\n

What’s the best way you have found to manage conflict before the flood comes? What has previously blocked you from managing conflict in a healthy way? As Jesus says, scandals and conflicts will come, reflecting on these questions will help prepare you for managing them in productive ways.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”16px”][vc_single_image image=”20261″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why would a nonviolent God flood the earth? Pastor Adam Ericksen finds the God who flooded the earth scary and “not safe for children.” Learn why.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20365,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4328,14],"tags":[76,4366,2530,683,204,2240,4365,2528],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n