“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11 CSB
Resolving conflict requires maturity. We have to be willing to lay down our wants and needs, learning how to help others with theirs. In the same way Jesus died on the cross for us, we have to lay our lives down for our brothers. Maturity means we don’t have to have our own way all of the time. We can allow others to shine instead of ourselves. We mature naturally with each year we are given, but emotional maturity may require more intentionality. An article from Entrepreneur magazine gives us insight into how we can mature with 9 practical steps.
First we have to seek self-mastery. As we talked about a few days ago, we have to be self-aware of the places in our life we need work. We need to foster a “growth-mindset.” For me, when I’m offended by someone, the first question I ask is “Why am I offended?” This question always leads me to self-discovery about an area of my life I need work. We develop emotional intelligence as we seek self-mastery. We begin to learn what triggers our emotions and how we can respond to them in a healthier way than we have done in the past. Instead of assuming whoever is trying to pick a fight, we can give them the benefit of the doubt. As we mature we develop a positive attitude and independence. We begin to learn our emotions aren’t dependent on others. We are able to let them off the hook for the hurts they cause us because their actions don’t control our emotions.
Mature people are able to delay gratification. They can put their needs aside to address the needs of others. They don’t have to engage in every argument because they realize every argument isn’t worth engaging. Mature people are truthful with themselves and with others. They take responsibility for their actions, they are accessible to work out conflicts. They don’t hide from the conflict, they address it. When we strive to become more mature in our walk with God, it will show in our relationships with others. We’ll have less conflict and more peace. We’ll pick our battles wisely, knowing not every battle is worth fighting.
Today I’m going to find rest by striving to become more mature. How can you find rest today? Comment below.
