Plan Info
"The Keys to a Blessed Life" in American Sign LanguageSample
!["The Keys to a Blessed Life" in American Sign Language](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F36010%2F1280x720.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
For Conflict Resolution, Switch Your Focus
By Rick Warren
“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (Philippians 2:4-5 NLT, second edition)
When you meet someone to resolve a conflict, you must first confess your part of the problem. Then, you need to listen for the other person’s hurt and perspective.
We think we argue over ideas. But we actually argue over emotion. Any time there’s a conflict, somebody gets his feelings hurt. Somebody felt abused. Somebody felt slighted. It’s not the ideas that cause the conflict. It’s the emotion behind the idea.
Hurt people hurt people. The more people are hurting, the more they lash out at everybody else. People who aren’t hurting don’t hurt others. People who are filled with love are loving toward others. People who are filled with joy are joyful to others. People who are filled with peace are at peace with everybody else. But people who are hurting inside are going to hurt others. They’re going to lash out.
If you want to connect with people, you must start with their needs, hurts, and interests. If you want to be a good salesman, you don’t start with your product. You start with your customer’s needs, hurts, and interests. If you want to be a good professor or pastor or anything else, you start with people’s needs, hurts, and interests.
Philippians 2:4-5 says, “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (NLT, second edition).
Are you often so busy trying to get the people you’re in conflict with to see your position that you’re not listening to theirs? You’re too busy speaking and not listening, and, as a result, you move further and further away.
You need to intentionally switch your focus from your needs to their needs. Conflict resolution starts with the way you look at the situation. The word “look” in Philippians 2:4 is the Greek word “scopos.” It’s where we get the words “microscope” and “telescope.”
“Scopos” means to focus. The next verse says your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ. You are most like Jesus when you’re focusing on the hurts of somebody else rather than your own.
There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood.” When you’re focused on the other person’s needs and not your own, you’ll be able to get a better understanding of the situation and move forward with resolving your conflict.
Talk It Over
How did Jesus set an example for us for how to look out for others’ interests?
What are some ways that you can practice showing concern for others’ needs?
How do you need to prepare yourself before you go into conflict resolution so that you are prepared to listen and focus on the other person?
Scripture
About this Plan
!["The Keys to a Blessed Life" in American Sign Language](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F36010%2F1280x720.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
God wants to bless your life! The problem is that people often don’t live in ways that God can bless. Join Pastor Rick for this series as he walks through Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, where he shar...
More
We would like to thank Rick Warren/Daily Hope for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://pastorrick.com/
Related Plans
![Faith Love Forgiveness](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47478%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
Faith Love Forgiveness
![Experiencing Pain, Presence, and Purpose: Unlocking the Power of Faith 4-Day Devotional by Joy Lowery](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47812%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
Experiencing Pain, Presence, and Purpose: Unlocking the Power of Faith 4-Day Devotional by Joy Lowery
![Horizon Church July Bible Reading Plan: Job - the God Who Speaks in Suffering](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47827%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
Horizon Church July Bible Reading Plan: Job - the God Who Speaks in Suffering
![7 Days in His Presence](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47826%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
7 Days in His Presence
![7 Mornings With Nana](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47953%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
7 Mornings With Nana
![Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47731%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
![New Testament Overview](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47969%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
New Testament Overview
![It Happened in Prayer](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47385%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
It Happened in Prayer
![One Heart - Father Let Them Be One](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47951%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)
One Heart - Father Let Them Be One
![The Man Minute](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fyvplans%2F47950%2F320x180.jpg&w=640&q=75)