March 25, 2022

Numbers 12: 1-6 (NIV)

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses . . . At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” . . . Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud . . . and summoned Aaron and Miriam. . . .he said, “Listen to my words.”

People do not look for solutions to personal conflicts when they have not yet repented of their sins.*

I have attended my share of conflict resolution seminars. I have even facilitated a few. There is a wealth of information out there – some of it helpful – for those who wish to solve their interpersonal relationship problems. In dealing with Moses and his squabbling siblings, God demonstrates how a mediator can be a positive force in resolving conflicts between brothers and sisters.

Certainly, God enjoys advantages that a human mediator does not: he doesn’t have to wait to be invited to be the peacemaker; and when he says, “Listen to my words,” we have to listen. But if you are a friend to both parties, could you be brave enough to volunteer to facilitate reconciliation between fellow Christians? If you wait for your services to be requested by one of the parties, the other side will not trust you to be the voice of reason. Perhaps you do not feel qualified for the task. Could you at least be friend enough to call them together and suggest that they seek the services of a professional mediator? Be prepared with the contact information of someone you can recommend to them. Offer to pray with them.

If you find yourself in the peacemaker hotseat, keep in mind the steps God took with Miriam, Aaron, and Moses:

1. He dealt with them at once. He did not give the bad feelings time to fester and gain power. 

2. He called all the parties together. No one was allowed to talk about the others behind their backs. 

3. He did not give them time to express their feelings.* God already knew the facts, where a human mediator would have to learn them by allowing everyone to tell his story – but dwelling on feelings wastes time that could be spent looking for solutions. Work at getting to the problem-solving stage and the feelings will start to heal.

In 2 Corinthians, chapter five, Paul writes about our ministry of reconciliation. How can our brothers and sisters be reconciled to God when they are harboring resentment against each other? How can we fulfill our ministry if we continue to tell ourselves, “It’s not my problem”?

God smiles when we make relationships right. Right relationships with man equal a right relationship with God.*