Healing the Wounds of Trauma

3. How can we live as Christians in the midst of conflict? ❂❂ SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION Why is it difficult to live as Christians in the midst of conflict? God calls Christians to be salt and light, bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ into evil and dark situations (Mt 5.13–16; Phil 2.14–16). Christians are to have their minds transformed by Christ.This means that they will react differently from non-Christians (Ro 12.1–2). This is the path of blessing, but it is not easy. It needs a daily, intentional decision. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows! Not even a small bird dies without God knowing it. We can trust that God sees what happens to us. He will use it for our good (Ro 8.28). Even when evil is done, it is within God’s larger plan. We must look beyond the evildoer to see the hand of God in the situation. Both Joseph and Jesus suffered, but God used their suffering for good (Gn 45.5–7; Acts 3.13–15). God is at work, even through people’s evil intentions. God tells us that our lives are not our own. God knows the date of our death before we’re even born (Ps 139.15–16). If we have been spared while others have died, it is because God still has a purpose for our lives (Esther 4.13–14; 2 Th 1.11–12). A. God wants us to trust in his sovereignty. Matthew 10.28–31 says:

B. God wants us to be prepared to give up everything but Christ.

In times of conflict, everything that defines who we are may be taken from us: our family members, our homes, our possessions, our work,

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How Can We Live as Christians in the Midst of Conflict?