You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
We spend a lot of time with our family.
From hectic mornings getting ready for work or school to chaotic family vacations that leave us with the wrong kind of memories, families are often in situations that can cause conflict and tension.
Many of these situations are only temporary. But it’s not unusual for small issues to escalate into big ones. We go from talking about who will do the dishes tonight to fighting about a variety of other issues. When these situations happen routinely, we might find that our family’s life is poisoned by grudges and unresolved conflicts. What do we do when we’re faced with another tension-filled moment?
Maybe you see your child coloring a self-proclaimed masterpiece on the wall—and your spouse is sitting in the same room, staring at their phone. Or maybe there was a miscommunication about how much money you owed your in-laws for a family vacation, and now you’re frustrated that you went way over budget. How we respond in the moment often dictates the outcome of any family conflict, and God’s Word has a multitude of wisdom to help us work for peace in the life of our family.
In Isaiah 26:3, we learn that perfect peace comes from keeping our mind fixed on God and his truths. When we’re tempted to lose our temper with our family members, we should turn immediately to Scripture’s reminders to speak gently and show love in all circumstances. And when we’ve been wronged by our family, we should remember that the Bible encourages us to forgive one another. We can trust that God will help us resolve our family tensions when we seek to keep our minds focused on him.
If you feel discouraged or anxious about a family conflict today, seek God’s perfect peace by refreshing your heart with his Word.
