Costs, Conflict and Commitments. “The Art of War” from over a thousand years ago is famous for the need to count the cost before going to war….(war, arguments, fights, etc). God gave us the ability to reason, not to just react by instinct like animals do. We need to decide beforehand if the risk is worth it? This is not to say we will not have conflicts – they are to be expected. However, we can avoid them if we count the cost at the beginning and decide on a better alternative. Will any gain be worth the cost? Will there even be any gain – or will it end up a stand-off? So we all need to make a commitment to use our gift of reason to overcome our stubborn emotions.