behavior – Amy Linnea

Common Conflict

Published on February 14, 2026February 12, 2026 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18

Are you ever shocked at the ugliness which can pour out of you or your loved ones?

It’s as if sin has a literal face. And sometimes that face is your own.

Relationships really shouldn’t be all that complicated.

Jesus wants us to always put the other person first.

If we all did just that, conflict would evaporate.

If we all loved the other like Jesus loves us, we’d rejoice at serving the other.

We’d rejoice at allowing the other to choose.

We’d be happy to accommodate their reasonable wishes.

But when our flesh demands attention, when ourselves get in the way, conflict occurs.

And once it begins, one rarely wants to succeed ground to the other party, especially because they are always totally wrong, yes?

Since conflict will come yet again, what is your plan?

Will you deal as it comes? Take one for the team? Or be ready with the first punch?

Ask God how He would have you react. Before the next conflict.

Ask God to hold your temper. Ask Him to hold your words. Ask Him to hold your heart.

While we cannot control others, we can control ourselves. We can control ourselves as we invite God to have our whole selves.

When we submit to God, giving Him everything, it includes our tempers. Our wanting to rise up to defend ourselves no matter the cost.

Am I implying we should become doormats to ill? Heck no.

I am also not referring to abusive behavior towards you.

We’re talking normal everyday conflict. Most of it can be diffused by one, you, who is allowing Jesus full control of their heart, mind, and body.

Yet, often our responses invite the enemy to have a hay day with our relationships. Often our ill retorts throw fuel to a fire, which needs nothing to burn.

You are responsible for you. Within normal relationship conflict, will you throw fuel to the fire, or will you calmly stand as a wall the fire cannot penetrate?

Even if the other has lost all sense of reason, you can stay fastened to God. To His calm stand in the storm.

So before your next normal conflict arises, plan your response. Because when it comes, it’s terribly hard to choose the high road.

Choose it today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.

Forgiveness seventy times seven seems an impossibility when wronged by a loved one. But it’s how Jesus wants us to respond.

After all, we have wronged Jesus many more times than that. Yet He still patiently waits for your precious, little heart, too.

Photos by Kelly Sikkema, Dirk Ribbler, & Pin Adventure Map on Unsplash

What’s Normal?

Published on October 25, 2025October 25, 2025 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11

Ever heard the phrase “the new normal”?

Usually means something bizarre is becoming commonplace.

Normal used to mean a two parent family with a few children, living in the same house for decades.

Normal used to mean church anchored the neighborhood, threading lives together as one.

Normal used to mean children knew their place and it wasn’t in charge of adults.

While we can sit here and debate “normal” social behaviors, I was wondering something completely different.

How often do you think about God?

Does He fill your thoughts most of the day? Or just when there’s nobody else to turn?

Do you talk with Him once a day, maybe as your eyes close?

Or do you talk to Him in a constant chatter about this or that, basically whenever anything comes to mind?

Do you wake with His song on your lips?

What’s your music choice? Whatever it is demands space in your head.

Sometimes I think I’m not normal.

I adore worship music. It’s all I listen to, with the exception of occasional classical music.

My head is filled with God because of it. I regularly wake with His song on my lips.

I think of heaven, too. Life is incredibly short and I hope I’m helping others see the importance of God.

Do you feel an urgency to align your heart to God’s?

What if you don’t wake up tomorrow?

Or what if you have only today to share God with another?

God takes our life seriously. So seriously that He rescued us from eternal separation by sending His son, Jesus, to take our sin for us.

If we really thought long and hard, we’d prioritize filling ourselves with worship to God, seeking His face. We owe Him everything.

So, in the end, normal for Christians should be our never-ending focus on God.

Putting Him first.

Above all else.

And that means above you and me.

As we live God’s purpose for our lives, may we consistently place Him first as we seek Him in all we do and say.

Photos by Doncoombez, Jeremy Thomas, & Taylor Cole on Unsplash

Living From Forgiveness

Published on July 19, 2025July 18, 2025 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13

Are you living from God’s forgiveness for you?

If you’ve surrendered your heart to Jesus, He’s forgiven you all your sins.

Often we don’t realize just how sinful we are.

And when we do, God’s forgiveness means that much more.

Feels so great, doesn’t it? To feel forgiven?

I can remember lying to my grandfather when I was about six years old.

I had gotten the Little Professor calculator for Christmas.

Basically, it was a small light up math game and I couldn’t wait to sneak it into my bed.

What six year old wouldn’t want to see it lit up in the dark?

After I went to bed, my grandfather, who had been injured in WW2, slowly climbed the stairs, which were very hard for him.

Coming into my room, he asked me if he could see my new Little Professor calculator.

Not wanting him to have it, I actually climbed out of bed and pretended to look for it with him in my room.

Giving up, he said it was just fine. He’d look at it in the morning.

Back in bed, the calculator no longer held any interest. None.

My tummy felt awful lying to my grandfather.

How long did I hold in this lie?

An entire year. I literally thought about it almost every day.

It ate at me. How could I have lied to him?

One day I could no longer take it.

Climbing onto my father’s lap, I confessed.

I waited for my huge punishment.

As an adult looking back at this scene, I’m guessing my parents were trying to stifle a giggle.

They forgave me instantly.

I climbed down and felt like I could fly.

Ran to my brother’s room and played cars with him, even though that was my least favorite activity.

But I didn’t care. I was free. I was so happy. My smile was frozen to my face.

My six-year-old self began to live from forgiveness. It was pure freedom.

Ask for forgiveness if you’ve wronged someone. You’ll feel so much better, owning your behavior.

And if your offender fails to ask you for forgiveness? Forgive them anyway.

You’ll fling off the burden of offense and smile in spite of the situation.

Don’t let others block you from living from forgiveness.

Seventy-times seven.

Ask for forgiveness. Forgive others.

Choose today to live from the freedom of forgiveness.

Photos by Laura Pocho, Mary Blackwey , & Ben White on Unsplash

Your Glory

Published on March 8, 2025March 8, 2025 by amylinneaLeave a comment

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

This verse is not an easy one to read.

It’s way more fun to keep an offense, especially when you’re completely justified.

And we always are justified in our own mind, yes?

Looking at the first part, it’s easy to understand.

When we have good sense, meaning solid countenance or common sense, we don’t get angry often.

We don’t allow anger to grab us when we are in our right minds.

Trouble is, other people cause us to exit our good sense, trying to justify our offense at them.

After all, they wronged us! It’s not fair!

When we have good sense, we focus on Whose we are.

Our feet are solidly planted in our relationship with God first.

We know God is living through us, and we fully trust Him to provide us His strength, wisdom, and peace.

Could even be that we ask God how to react before we do. We train our brain to do just that. Putting God first.

So, back to the ouchy part of the verse: not taking offense.

Proverbs says it’s our glory to overlook an offense.

Means we could be offended, but we choose not to be.

Because we remain peaceful, the glory is still ours.

Our mood isn’t in the toilet.

Clouds are not hanging around.

Others can be down in the dumps, but we’re not.

It’s still sunny where we’re at, because we are choosing not to associate with the other person’s offensive behavior.

It’s their problem, not ours.

Is it more fun to take their offense and make them pay?

Sure.

But in the process, you are robbed of peace. You are robbed of minutes or hours, stewing in what they did to you. You are robbed of God’s glory shining through you.

Jesus could have put people verbally down so many times, but he regularly chose to overlook offenses.

And glory remained His.

You can pity others, if it helps.

You can feel badly they are stuck in the mud of getting back at life.

But don’t stay there or you’ll think of yourself as better than them.

And that’s almost as bad as keeping an offense.

So shrug them off.

Remain steadfast in God’s good sense.

And keep your glory as you overlook the other’s offense.

It’s hard, but it’s completely worth it.