Godly responses to conflicts include communicating, sharing your concerns, listening to the other person’s concerns, including God in the situation, and working toward a solution that honors God. The silent treatment will destroy any efforts at ever coming to a conflict resolution. It will cause pain, hurt, and disorder. The damage that is inflicted on others through the silent damage is long-lasting.

As someone who has gone through this, I can share with you that the damage is ever present and has harmed the way I view myself. Since my loved one couldn’t work through problems with me in a healthy, godly way, I immediately felt as though I was not worth conflict resolution. I felt all I was good for was to be the easy target or the “kicking bag” of the family since I had always taken it.

This is not healthy and can cause lasting damage that isn’t always healed. It is hurtful when someone you love so much treats you so badly. Many psychologists and therapists now view silent treatment as a passive-aggressive, abusive way to interact with others. It goes without saying that passive-aggressiveness and abuse are not words that glorify God. In order to stay away from causing lasting damage, passive-aggression, and abuse, it is best to stop the silent treatment.

You might think you have the upper hand by giving the silent treatment, but you are only hurting others and yourself. Hurting others and yourself is nothing to be proud of. Turn to the Lord in repentance, ask for His forgiveness, and try to make things right with the person you hurt. Even if it has been years ago, reach out to the person and be the person God created you to be—a loving, caring, and compassionate child of His.