> Reflections

12/02/2013 - ‘See how easy it is!!!

Machado

Frequently we get
involved in conflicts with our families, colleagues, and friends
(among others), because we don’t agree with their ideas. It’s
commonplace to see people who have built friendships for years, and
who have many things in common, destroy what they have built in a
fraction of a second because they disagree about something. The
truth is that large companies are paying a high price for the fact
that their employees have their differences, couples are going to
court because both parties refuse to be willing to compromise,
churches become divided, and many people are getting lost because of
this evil.

 

Clearly we learn
in the Bible:

“He who
covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter
separates close friends.” Pr 17.9

 

Great conflicts
form over very small things. In taking care of many couples and
individual people in the church, I have come to the conclusion that
it is the little things that are making people suffer. In many
cases, a person must compromise very little in order to bring an end
to the conflict.

 

Read the following story, and you
will see that the solution is very simple. It is enough for a person
to compromise, and to be willing to negotiate. Every problem has a
solution.

One day, two men were traveling by
camel on a road, when they passed three men who were strongly
disagreeing. They resolved to stop, and to find out what could be
the reason for so great a quarrel.

One of the men asked:

-What are you arguing about? Why are
you so angry?

One of them responded:

-Look, the three of us are brothers.
My father died and left a will, in which he left us 35 camels to
divide. The will said that half of the camels are mine, because I’m
the oldest son. To the second oldest brother was left a third of
the inheritance, and to my youngest brother only one ninth. Soon we
got to arguing, because half of 35 camels is 17 and a half camels,
but nobody wants to give me half of his camel. A third of 35 camels,
which is owed to my brother, would be 11.6, and nobody wants to give
him that. Then my youngest brother has, according to the will, the
right to only one ninth of the 35 camels, or 3.88, but he doesn’t
want to get only 3 camels, if he has the right to 3.88, and not one
of us is willing to give away what is ours. So we are arguing
because each one of us wants what belongs to him!

Faced with that situation, the man
offered to help, and said:

-If you will permit me, I will help
you. I can see here that this is but a small problem to be resolved.
So that you can all trust me and see that I have good intentions, I
will add to the your inheritance my friend’s camel on which we
travel, and in this way your established wealth will be 36 camels.

To the oldest son will go half of the
camels. Since now there are 36, your half is 18. Take what is yours
and complain no more. To the middle brother will go one third, which
was 11.6 and is now 12, and you keep silent. Finally to the
youngest, who received only one ninth of the inheritance, which was
3.88 of the camels, I will give you 4 camels, and you have no reason
to complain.

All were silent and were satisfied,
and there were still 2 camels left. So the man said:

-Now give me back my friends camel
which I added to your inheritance to solve the problem, and the other
which is left over is for me, as payment for my work. All went away
happy.

And this is how it works. When
somebody has the patience to find a solution, and is willing to
compromise and to hear all sides, everybody ends up winning.

Pay attention to the situation, the
solution is very simple, you only have to want it. Nothing is better
than a good word, said at the right time. When conflicts appear,
certainly these words will bring about a solution.

A word aptly spoken is like
apples of gold in settings of silver. Pr 25:11

God bless you.

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