Avoid Strife In Your Life

Proverbs 20:3

 "It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: 

but every fool will be meddling."

        In Proverbs, King Solomon wrote: "It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."  Most arguments stem from feelings of pride or uncontrollable anger. We want to prove our point and come out looking right. Yet, as the wise King tells us, when we fight for no good reason, we only embarrass ourselves and show the world our ugly side. However, when we have enough self restraint and self esteem to refrain, we are showered with honor and peace.

        Here is an old phrase that will put meaningless arguments into perspective: "A bulldog can whip a skunk any day of the week, but sometimes it realizes that the fight just isn’t worth the stink." We can choose to engage in strife, especially when we know that we have what it takes to win the argument. But we are left with a "stink." We are left with negativity and have only degraded ourselves in front of others. It’s simply not worth it.

        There is one thing my Dad taught me, or I should say, "had a hard time getting me to listen:" The person who yields to the aggressor shows greater strength than the one who chooses to fight. We need to learn to step aside when we are tempted to enter into ultimately meaningless arguments. Next time you are about to engage in strife, ask yourself if it’s worth the "stink." It’s probably not, and we would all be wise to avoid strife altogether.

        Amen!

Reading: (James 1:19-20)

               (Eccl. 7:9)

               (Rom. 12:19-21)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life  Ministry