Scripture: Numbers 12
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn that pride can cause even godly people to sin.
- Students will learn that God wants His people to be humble.
- Students will learn that God expects people to respect His prophets.
- Students will participate in an activity to help them practice godly conflict management skills.
Guiding Question: What should we do when we have conflict with our siblings and friends?
Materials: conflict scenarios, printable parenting resources
Procedure: Share the story of the conflict between Miriam, Aaron ad Moses. Explain why they were “fighting”. Ask students if thy ever fight with their siblings or friends. Have them share a typical disagreement and how they usually handle conflict.
Point our that there are godly and more effective ways of handling disagreements than hitting, shouting, tattle tailing, getting revenge, etc.
Teach the students the steps for handling conflict in godly ways.
1. Take some time alone to calm down.
2. Think about how you feel and what is really making you feel that way.
3. Go back to the person with whom you are in conflict and say I feel _____when you_____, because______. I would like _____. Allow the person with whom you are in conflict to fill in the sentence with the correct words for them.
4. You and the other person should repeat what each other wants and needs in your own words.
5. Each of you should tell their want and needs again if you believe they were not restated correctly.
6. You and the other person should list as many possible solutions to the problem as you can.
7. Try and pick the solution that will help everyone get what he or she needs.
You may also want to share the following Bible verses with your students about conflict: Matthew 18:15-17, Proverbs 15:1, Romans 12:17-19, Ephesians 4:26-32, James 1:19-21, Philippians 2:4, Proverbs 17:14.
Have the students work in pairs to resolve a common issue about which they often find themselves in conflict. Have them look at the printable parenting sheets and resolve it using the steps you have shared with them today. (Or you can write them where they can see them. You will probably need to do two or three as a class before they are able to practice with each other. (Younger students may need to work through all of the scenarios as a class. Make sure that they get to take turns being the various people in conflict. The scenarios will vary greatly with your students. Have them suggest scenarios, although you may want to have a list for the first few.
Some possibilities include: taking each other’s things, entering bedrooms without permission, etc.) You want the scenarios to be real conflict from their lives. This will not only help them practice the skills, but also give them tools for the next time it happens in their home.
Have the students take home the printable parenting sheets on how to raise loving siblings and godly conflict resolution.
Additional Questions:
- How can these godly conflict management skills help you when you have conflict with a parent?
Supplemental Activity: Have the students create scenarios involving conflicts with a parent. As they work out solutions do they need to change the original steps for conflict management tool?