When you are stuck in one place, the life flow of living water is stopped. You become like stagnant water, which is stuck and going nowhere. A puddle of water can soon become dried up by the sun or it can become murky and attract organisms that contaminate it, making it of no use for anything.
People can become stagnant in life, where the life flow is blocked for some reason. Their spirits get crushed and they become ‘dry bones’. The light in their eyes start to fade and their zeal for life starts to dwindle. Very often illness takes hold of their bodies and they use it as a crutch to hobble about. This illness is often rooted in psychological issues.
Unresolved conflict is like cancer to the soul. It is often an unwarranted burden on the recipient and those connected to that individual. The consequences is similar to stagnant water; trapped and foul smelling. Instead of being a source of life and enrichment like flowing water, those who are like stagnant water, invariably become a burden to others. Proverb 18:14 (BSB) talks about this – “The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but who can survive a broken spirit?”
What can one do to liberate the soul trapped in unresolved conflict? Conflict resolution offers various possible solutions, which involve proactive measures. Moving out from stagnant water to living water is a deliberate choice. The mind is a very powerful thing and has power to destroy or liberate a person. God has provided us with the solution – Proverbs 17:22 (BSB) says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” There is hope; Psalm 34:18-20 tells us that the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Take control of your life and steer your destiny in the direction of the flow. Be a spring brook, not a stagnant pool. ◊
Linda Pearl
Linda Pearl
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