Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles: Collaborate (Proverbs 11:27; 13:15; Philippians 2:3-4)

How often do you collaborate when you experience interpersonal conflict? God’s design for wise conflict management is that we work together to seek win-win solutions. Proverbs says that we find what we seek: “He who seeks good finds good will, but evil comes to him who searches for it” (Proverbs 11:27). In order to discover […]


Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles: Accommodate when the Relationship is of Greater Value than our Personal Stakes (Proverbs 17:9)

Are you experiencing a conflict where you are winning the argument, but potentially losing a valued relationship? Perhaps, it’s time to consider how to accommodate the other person. Proverbs provides four scenarios when we should accommodate our counterpart in conflict. First, we accommodate another’s interest when we are wrong. Second, we accommodate when the issue […]


Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles: Compete (Proverbs 2:12, 16; 19:8)

During interpersonal conflict, when do you compete? Compete means we will pursue our own interest at the expense of another’s, making the perceived task of greater importance than the relationship. It usually implies a zero sum game. We will win while the other person equally loses. Proverbs says that wisdom will save us from wicked […]


Wisdom in Conflict Management Styles: Compromise (Proverbs 25:8)

During interpersonal conflict, when do you compromise? Compromise is moderate toward another’s interest and moderate toward our interest. Each party in the conflict gives in a little. Consequently, we should compromise when both choices at hand are acceptable to us. The key word is acceptable. In conflict, if we can accept both choices (our initial […]


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