Episode 14 - Wronged by a Fellow Believer

n this episode, Henry, Rusty, and William tackle the very difficult issue of when a coworker or a colleague feels that he or she has been wronged.

One of our listeners from Northern California asked the question, “How do I deal with burned relationships with former founders, employees, or colleagues, who are also Christians?”

As Faith Driven Entrepreneurs, we of course all try to keep Christ and scripture at the center of our work. When conflict arises, what framework can we look at to help us process conflict and reach a Godly resolution?

William suggests a three part framework in this area: forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. It should be noted that forgiveness only takes one person, while it takes two to reconcile. Lastly, it takes maturity to restore the relationship after tough trials, and this is a step often forgotten.

Rusty offers that it is best to address the conflict quickly while Henry suggests that we have to check our motives and make sure our actions give God glory.

What happens though when it doesn't work out - when a leader has exhausted all options, then what? When this does occur, we have to consider a range of compassion with regards to personal relationships and practical realities - i.e. severance or letters of recommendation. It's also important to remember that no matter what you do to try to reconcile two people, there are sometimes unresolved feelings that cannot be worked through (at least they can't be worked through on earth). Ultimately, we all must patiently await the renewal of all things in heaven.