Conflict management can take on many forms. Read John 8:48-59.

As His public ministry was nearing an end, the conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees became more frequent and more divisive. In today’s scriptures the words exchanged between Jesus and the Pharisees were very pointed as Jesus stood toe-to-toe with those who desired to discredit Him.

Every leader must be able to manage stress. Read Mark 4:35-41.

During Jesus’ public ministry He traveled from city to city and often crossed the Sea of Galilee to preach in the major seaports. During these crossings, which ranged from an hour to several hours, He often caught a nap replenishing His energy levels. During one of these crossings, while Jesus was asleep, a sudden storm hit and His teammates hit the panic button. They woke Jesus and their words indicated they were stressed out from fear. Jesus not only dealt with the source of the disciples’ stress by calming the storm, but He also urged the disciples to place their faith in God. Ultimately, for every leader, the best way to manage stress is to relinquish their problems to God.

Conflict management starts with a leader’s attitude. Read Matthew 5:43-45.

Jesus was teaching His disciples some truths that were (and still are) counter cultural. In what many consider His most famous sermon He called His team to be different, to see the world from God’s perspective, to relate to people in a supernatural fashion, and to develop a God-like attitude rather than to accept the popular worldview. With these words, “You have heard that it was said, ‘love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven,” Jesus challenged a culturally accepted norm held by virtually every leader on earth.

An important component of leadership is conflict management. Read Isaiah 2:1-5.

Isaiah’s description of life under God’s rule in the last days sets a pattern for leadership. An important component is the peace that results from settling disputes. The symbol used to represent peace is reshaping weapons formerly used to settle disputes into tools used to create an abundant life; they will reshape efforts once used to destroy into efforts of productive work.