Conflict Sells (and Tells)

When I was studying to be a writer (another dream unfulfilled) I learned about some of the techniques used in making a good story, things like having interesting and unique characters, showing the story rather than telling the story, and creating plenty of conflict.  I don't know for sure why we find conflict so interesting, but we certainly do.  The most popular Christian blogs are those which bring to light conflict among Christian leaders,  children will gather around conflict on the playground, and some never attend church business meetings unless they anticipate conflict.

What is it about conflict that draws our attention?  I'm not sure of the whole answer, but I came up with one possibility.  Maybe its because we want to witness the behavior of those involved.  Times of conflict often bring out a person's true character, and its their true character about which we are often the least informed and the most curious.

First Corinthians 11:19 "For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you."  

According to Paul, conflict is where the church recognizes its truly God-approved leaders.  As their true character is revealed in the heat of conflict, the church is allowed to distinguish between the peacemakers and the quarrelsome, between the temperate and the emotionally driven, between the sober-minded and the trivial-minded, between the submissive and the rebellious, between those who remain faithful and those who give up, between those who have God's mind and those who don't, and between those who can reason together and those who are unreasonable.

First Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts."

It is those who are tested and approved to which God entrusts ministry, and apparently God uses conflict as one of the tests.  So what does God show you during times of conflict?  What emerges as your true character?