Conflict is Part of All Relationships

All people experience conflict. It is inevitable. It can be generative, supporting maturing in our relationships, and life-giving. However, sometimes we may find that conflict can be regressive, isolating, and destructive especially if we never grew up learning and observing healthy ways to handle conflict.

When we don't have the tools to handle differences, we often resort to saying something along the lines of "we are just not compatible". Sound familiar? While it is true that having similar backgrounds, interests, worldviews, and upbringings can definitely reduce conflicts at the forefront, conflicts can be an invitation for personal development and opportunities to discover how differences in relationships can bring meaning and beauty into our lives. Instead of viewing capatability in a relationship as an absence of conflict, I wonder what would happen if we used our dissatisfaction to help us turn toward self-reflection and toward one another for growth.