May 2026

The Conflict Sector: Bringing the Best and the Worst in Us

By Sally C. Ladignon

Understanding the human person is both fascinating and challenging, and one meaningful place to begin is by looking inward through a reliable framework. I value the five shapes in the Living Wholeness Approach (LWA), especially the circles, because they help me reflect on myself and better understand how I face life’s challenges and victories. Like the other sectors in the circles, the conflict sector invites reflection because it reveals a part of our inner life where anger and offense can unsettle us. People often focus on others rather than examining themselves. Perhaps self-reflection is difficult because becoming self-aware can also be painful.

The conflict, or entrance, sector – described as the entry point of the heart’s revolving door – is a delicate and mysterious part of our inner life, even though it contains the least content. It reflects our points of vulnerability, which are present to many of the other sectors of the circles. It also reveals how sensitive, open, or guarded a person may be, since tension, hurt, and unresolved struggles often enter the heart through this sector. Triggers rooted in the past, such as childhood wounds, shape how we live in the present. Looking back on our growing-up years, the difficult pair of ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adverse Community Environments – may have deeply wounded the love (self-esteem), truth (identity), and control (choices) sectors, making life at times painful and overwhelming when those injuries are stirred again.

The conflict sector receives input from all the other sectors of the circles, which pervade the heart. When those inputs, be it experiences or triggers, remain unrecognized and unprocessed, may bring out the worst in us. Created fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14), we are equipped in our soma with an autonomic nervous system (ANS) that acts like a personal surveillance system, constantly alert to safety and danger and asking, “Is this safe?” Threats or risks sensed by the body through its sensory filters – especially those arising from unhealthy relationships – can trigger the conflict sector, intensify the sense of threat, and shape how we respond inwardly and outwardly. Core beliefs and irrational thought patterns, which remain unchallenged and unrestored, when it entered the conflict sector will continue to degrade one’s identity and deflate one’s self-esteem.

We are reminded that conflict, though difficult, can also become a doorway to deeper self-understanding and growth. The Bible presents conflict as an unavoidable reality caused by sin, ranging from relational disputes to spiritual warfare, while also offering a path toward resolution through reconciliation, humility, and forgiveness. In Matthew 18:15, we are instructed to address offenses directly, while Romans 12:18 calls us to pursue peace and focus on restoration rather than winning arguments.

A personal relationship with God and a life rooted in His Word can help bring out the best in us as we surrender the worst in us to the Holy Spirit. This is easier said than done. Still, the Living Wholeness Approach (LWA), through its five steps and five shapes, can support this process by helping a person move back and forth through the steps, including the associated shapes, with growing awareness until the CWF process becomes a way of life marked by transformation, attitudes, skills, and knowledge.

Transformation sector by sector is starting from the inside out, from the spirit circle to the heart, mind, physical and social circles. The spirit circle which is alive in Christ and dead in sin influences the conflict sector to withstand any irritating input coming from any open doors of generational sin and curse pattern, ungodly thought patterns, spirit/soul wound patterns and demonic oppression patterns by confession, repentance, and breaking of the generational sins, renewing of the mind and receiving healing through the precious blood of Jesus.

CUREe reminded me the “walking it out” commitment I embrace when I received the healing ministry of Restoring the Foundations (RTF) and will continue to do so as part of attending to my heart circle:

Put on the Whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Like it or not, the Christian life is one of spiritual warfare. Either the enemy will “beat you up” or you will “beat up the enemy” by walking in the victory that Christ has won for you.

Renew and Guard Your Mind (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6)

The battle is in the mind. Pray/meditate for a minimum of 30 days on your new Godly beliefs. You want the truth settled in your heart. When your heart and mind are in agreement with God’s Word, your previous agreement with the enemy will be completely cancelled.

Guard Your Mouth (Psalm 141:3, Philippians 4:8-9, Matthew 12:34-37)

Be careful what you let come out of your mouth. When you recognize a different core belief and irrational thought pattern challenged it, repent of any attached generation sin/curse and replaced with a positive cognition.

Continue Asking the Lord for Healing of Wound Patterns (Luke 4:18, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 23:2-3)

As you learn and experience receiving healing for your hurts, continue to go to the Lord in your private prayer time to ask for continuous healing.

Resist the Devil (James 4:7)

When you submit yourself to God, then you can resist the devil and he will flee. Bind any demons that still have “legal rights” to remain. Forbid them to operate until their legal ground is recovered. If you should slip and fall, repent, do self-deliverance if necessary.

Overcome by the Word of Your Testimony (Revelation 12:10-11)

Sharing with others what God has done in your life is a good thing to do. Giving God the glory for your healing and freedom strengthens you. Stay active in your spiritual warfare, however, because the enemy doesn’t like it when you give God glory.

A Personal Prayer for Healing and Growth:

Abba Father, thank You for the beautiful life journey You have allowed me to travel. Walking through the five steps may not be easy, but it is worth doing. I see You in each step and shape, reminding me that transformation is not linear but a journey of ups and downs as I locate where I am in the square, firmly resting on the cross. It is deeply reassuring to know that You have given me a spiritual position where I can know and experience Your Person, Presence, Purpose, Placement, and Provision, as well as the fullness of Your freedom, forgiveness, unfailing love, and strength to fight the good fight of faith.

Life is not easy, and needs are many. I am limited, but You are great. Please continue to bless me and my family with good health and well-being. May You also bless the work of my hands as I seek to bless others. May You also bring the CWF principles and practices to fruition in the Philippines, according to Your will, and open more opportunities to offer Living Wholeness trainings. In Jesus name, amen.

Conflict sector

Devotion / Leave a Comment / Eva Yang / May 8, 2026

Conflict sector

By John Warlow & Carolyn Russell

Sit with John and Carolyn awhile:

Notice yourself – scan your body as you sit and read this newsletter….

What is happening around you, and affecting your comfort, or steadiness currently? Or what is ‘on your mind and heart’ ( a common expression of this current era)?

What is your body experiencing as a result of this?

What thoughts do you have as you notice this?

What is the experience of being with others currently? Do you experience connection, and understanding from those with whom you walk? Or perhaps not?

If you have been able to notice any ‘discomfort’ or ‘tension’ or an internal sense of dysregulation, this may be a manifestation of your Conflict Sector.

As we consider sector of our Heart Circle named Conflict, let’s for a moment recall what we in CWF consider ‘conflict’ :

An interesting quote in recent journal article that I read regarding Rahims Conflict Management…. That there is no universal psychological definition of this word, and yet it is used in therapeutic and pastoral situations commonly, even perhaps in most therapeutic sessions.

One definition from American Psychological Association website states: Conflict in psychology is a dynamic and pervasive phenomenon that plays a fundamental role in shaping human behavior, relationships, and societal structures. They continue: It is NOT pathological, but an essential human experience.

In CWF picture language, it is in the Heart Circle … the source of our human responsiveness and expression. From this dynamic and pervasive phenomenon flow the actions, attitudes, emotions, physical experience, and relationships which characterise our stories.

We as counsellors pastors and pastoral carers aim to find the conflict in the narratives of our clients and to sit with and walk beside them, as they explore the origins of this experience.

As you now read this, sit awhile with Jesus…. Imagine or sense that He is listening to the narrative of the conflict sector you have identified.

Write this story or speak it out aloud for a moment.

What are the elements of this narrative?

Research around conflict suggests that there is

-Dissonance, internal or external

-difference in values, beliefs and thoughts compared to others

-clash of motivation, needs, goals or values

-tension in experiencing an event, or imagining self within this event

-tug of war between what I believe in or rely on, need, or hold as truth and what I observe to be occurring in me/others

-spreading out from my inner being to affect all my circles in various ways

Now let’s sit a while with His word, where conflict imbues the whole story of God and His people. Notice that you are not alone — Just as conflict is NOT pathological, but an essential human experience which provides for us the prompt to manage the experiences we have in life.

Who is with you? The vast cloud of witnesses who stand to encourage us all.

Those whom God was leading to a new place, or towards deeper understanding of His plan:

Abraham going to sacrifice….. ‘God will provide a sacrifice my son’ (Gen 22)

Abraham to be Father of nations — receiving a promise which seemed CRAZY (Gen 15ff)

Jacob being deceived by Laban (Gen 29)

Moses at Burning bush – but I am a man who cannot speak this way…. (Ex 3)

Habbakuk – How long O Lord? But I will stand and watch for your deliverance. (Hab 1-2)

Peter on roof with the vision of eating Unclean food (Acts 10)

New Christians told that Paul was coming to Jerusalem after his conversion!

Those experiencing conflict after choosing sinful paths:

David lamenting in Psalms (Ps 77 1-9 and Ps 56:8 and Many others!)

Paul… wretched man that I am! (Romans 7:21ff)

Peter when he denied he knew Jesus (Luke 22:54ff)

those with Interpersonal struggles:

Paul and Peter in conflict re the circumcision party and Judaizers (Gal 2)

Paul and Barnabas separate ways ( Acts 15:36)

Thomas before he met the Risen Lord Jesus

Paul speaking of the struggles in prison ( 2 Tim 4:9-16)

Conflict sector experiences are to alert us to the Entry Portal: we know that we are approaching the Heart Circle, that place of transformation.

Our thoughts, speech, actions, relationships will give us signals that we need to allow ourselves to Sit awhile with God, and sit with His Word, and to ask Him to Search our hearts – To Search for and to Find that story of conflict to assess what it might mean. Is there a way that He is leading, or an unacknowledged struggle or experience which I am being called to name, and bring deeper into the heart?

My friend seems distant Lord… I am missing her connection. We promised that we would be there for each other… and I’m being true to that! what is going on?/what is she wanting of me?/ She should speak up and make it clear/Friends should not do this!/what if she stays this way? What should I do? I NEED to resolve this and find out…. But what if she gets angry…… I don’t know what to do! You fix it Lord!

We go Next Door into our Coping Sector, and find all sorts of ways to diminish that tension, i.e. to find thoughts which can calm us, or give us ‘answers’ — we choose avoidance of the issue/person! And we blame others or God for not making life good for ME.

OR in that coping we can choose to move towards them and to assess our initial sense of change in the relationship – We FACE it!

What a joyous thing that God has made us in His image, to be aware of when the functions (other sectors) of our hearts and spirits need attention and His presence. He Gifts us the awareness of this Sector in our Heart Circle to act as a portal by which we can explore the other parts of us, and to then see that He wishes us to be transformed from the Inside Out.

As we experience and acknowledge the conflict, and cope by speaking/writing it’s story, then we are taken deeper to Sit with Jesus, and to know that

Wherever or through whatever He leads us …..

Whatever sinful choices we make…..

Whatever comes at us through other people ……

HE loves us deeply and wants to HOLD that conflict with us, and take the burden.

Sit awhile with Him now –

Then remember and Meditate on his word from David:

I consider the days of old, the years long ago.

I said, “let me remember my song in the night: let me meditate in my heart.”

They my spirit made a diligent search.

“Will the Lord spurn forever.

And never again be favourable?

Has his steadfast love forever ceased?

Are his promises at an end for all time?

Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he in anger shut up his compassion? “

Then I said “ I will appeal to this. To the years of the right hand of the Most High”

Write out YOUR Psalm of praise from this conflict reflection, and WORSHIP this MOST HIGH now with YOUR Centre!

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