In every relationship, personal or professional, there will always be some disagreement. You will never find an environment where people always agree and understand each other. That is fantasy, not reality. When it comes to our friends and family members, we all have blind spots. Rare is the leader who has the objectivity to look beyond a blood bond and focus on what is best for the organization. As a result, the vision that we should possess that God has given us suffers.
People tend to disagree when they don’t understand each other. When one person is so busy wanting to be heard and doesn’t spend any time trying to understand, disagreement is right around the corner. When you come to an understanding that most of us are more alike than we are different, you can begin to tolerate and accommodate and even appreciate someone’s different points of view.
When it comes to trouble in the home or on the job, there is a Biblical principle that is laid down for handling differences. First you must go privately, one on one, and deal with the issue. If that doesn’t work, you should take one or two others with you and try to resolve the problem. If you are still stuck, take the situation to mature spiritual leaders and get their input. Sometimes you need a wise and trusted third party to help resolve a problem.
Yet another strategy is to look for similarity in someone’s point of view even if you don’t agree. I have discovered that the best way to handle a disagreement is to find common ground. It is said that “when we concentrate on differences the space grows wider, but when we seek out commonality it can bridge the gap between individuals.” Remember that we all have blind spots when understanding each other. So Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
