Conflict occurs when both parties feel in some way wronged, denied, misunderstood, or unappreciated.  We find a perfect example in the conflict between Solomon and his bride:

I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved!
He knocks, saying, “Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.”
(Song 5:2)

She speaks back in Song 5:3:
I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet; How can I defile them?

Solomon had been working late.  After a long day in a hard world, he longed to come home to some tenderness and appreciation.  She, on the other hand, had pretty much given up on his coming home at a reasonable hour and had gone to bed.

Keep in mind that in those days, a man and a woman often had different bedchambers so he was knocking on her door in hopes of joining her.  Her response, in modern-day terms, might be, “I have a headache.”  She says poetically, “Not tonight, I’ve already taken a bath and am in bed.  Yet you want to have sex now?”  They’re thoughts and desires are definitely not on the same page and they are set up for conflict.

We’ll see both of their reactions to this situation next week.

My Question For You: Are there any situations you face that you know will lead to conflict?

My Challenge For You:
Conflict is inevitable.  Are you willing to prepare for it and set yourself up to learn from it?