Handling conflict in online ministry. {Day 26} Heart Matters

It is inevitable. You will encounter conflict. It may come in the form of an email, a comment, or even a bashing on someone else’s blog. The way we handle it will be a testimony in and of itself. As Christ following servants we need to see things through His eyes.

Romans 12:14-21 (New Living Translation)

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Pray, pray, pray. If you feel as though you have been attacked, first pray. Seek His voice through it. Dig deep within yourself. What can you learn from this? Is there any truth to what was said? Is there anything that you need to repent of? Ask Him and He will reveal it to you.

Ask for the counsel of your husband. If you are not married ask your parents. Sometimes someone else can see what we cannot. We also have to remember that words written lack facial expressions, change in voice tone, and enunciation. Things may not be as they seem. After seeking counsel then I highly recommend waiting at least 24 hours before responding.

Unless… that is right, unless it was in the form of a comment that contained a personal attack on Christ, contained lewd comments or profanity. If that is the case then delete it immediately. It is our duty to protect those reading our blogs from things like that. Our blog is our online home. If someone spray painted profanity on our home then we would remove it. Comments are no different.

When you do respond it is best to keep it private. Sending a response by email is best. Don’t do things publicly. You should also reread your response several times and if possible ask your husband or parent for their opinion. We must love our neighbor as ourselves and we must look to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for God’s definition of love. Once you have prayed, sought wise counsel, written back in love and have peace about it then you can send it.

If they respond negatively then it may be best to just let it go. Others do not define who we are in Him and God has already instructed us not to argue over words (2 Timothy 2:14).

Find the rest of the series here: 31 Days to Online Ministry

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