We all generally have the same good intentions physically, emotionally, relationally, financially, etc. But good intentions rarely turn into actions and success. Why? Because goals don’t determine success, systems do. Much of what we normally do isn’t a result of conscious choices but a result of daily habits.

Change isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. How? Starting a few small habits can change how you see yourself today and transform you into the person you want to be tomorrow, and ultimately who God wants you to become.

If you were to take an entire day and evaluate your life right now, what would you say? Is it a life of peace or pain, joy or depression, health or sickness, happiness or sadness, love, bitterness? The bad news: Jesus said that in this world we will have trouble. The good news: Jesus has overcome the world and it’s troubles, your troubles, BUT you have to WANT to get well. Do you?

What do we do when we’ve done everything we can to resolve a relational conflict with someone else, but the other person simply won’t reconcile? Do we get revenge? Do we play their game? Do we get even?

It’s important to remember that a lasting solution will always be a combination of the resolution of the issue and the reconciliation of the relationship. If you only resolve the issue, the solution will never last. The only hope for ongoing peace after a conflict is to seek a reconciled relationship, which comes through the incredible act of forgiveness.

In a conflict, clearly acknowledging and owning up to your contribution, no matter how big or small, models the response you’d like to see from the other person. But also, clearly communicating how another person’s words or actions have impacted you sets the stage for reconciliation.

In a conflict, our hearts tend to go right to blaming the other person. But playing the “blame game” only escalates the situation. Someone needs to break the cycle. Where do we start? In order to fight right, we need to take a different approach. We must first look in the mirror.

Conflict is all around us. It affects our marriages, families, churches, neighborhoods and workplaces. It can wear us down and damage our relationships. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a better way, but we must learn to Fight Right.

Jesus didn’t come to start a religion. He came for a different reason…relationship. He came to lead us into a growing relationship with God. Ultimately, so that he can transform us into everything God created us to be. And that happens by us taking one next step at a time.

Christianity is not faith in an ideal, but in a person. It’s a belief that something happened. A single event changed how those closest to Jesus viewed Jesus, and it should change the way we view him too.