Strife Life & Peace

Ever know someone who always seemed to be either in a state of war or was about to be again?  There are some people you meet that seem to be full of grace and joy, and then there are others who seem to be perpetually upset by people or things.  In fact, some people seem like they are not happy unless someone or something is making them unhappy.  I used to have some family members who sometimes embodied that idea.  Someone was always doing something they didn't like or thought they shouldn't do etc.

You can run into those kind of people about anywhere, including the church.  They are always ready for an offence and can often recite upon request a list of previous offences by various people or entities.  One thing you will not hear a lot of is grace toward sinners.

The Bible anticipates this behavior.  Check out this small sample of Proverbs.

• Proverbs 16:28  A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
• Proverbs 18:6  A fool's lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows.
• Proverbs 20:3  Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel.
• Proverbs 26:21  Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
• Proverbs 30:33  For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.

That last one shows the cause of strife; anger.  The perpetually upset are people who anger easily and sometimes rather forcibly.  I often wonder what is at the core of such anger.  Is it pain, disappointment, sin?  I think whatever the trigger, the Bible is clear that the root of such things is unforgiveness.  Grace forgives, unforgiveness creates bitterness.  But there is hope!  Some more Proverbs.

• Proverbs 10:12  Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.
• Proverbs 15:18  A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.

Love covers all transgressions.  If you chose to express love, you can walk away from anger, no matter how justified you feel that anger is.  I find that when I pray for people who hurt me or frustrate me, when I ask God to renew my love for them and see them the way He does, that even if they are still engaging in behavior that is hurtful to me, that I can love them and begin to look past the actions.  That is not easy, but it can be done in the Lord.  That leads to that second Proverb, about being slow to anger.   In both of these cases, I am required to go beyond myself, my rights, hurts, reactions, and look at the other person and love, forgive, listen.  That is very hard to do and the perpetually upset seem to find it almost impossible.

I feel sadness and compassion for those who live such lives.  If there is a person like that in your life that you feel makes your life miserable, consider the fact that that person makes themselves far more miserable as they wall themselves off from person after person and situation after situation because of strife.

Be a person of grace.  Be a person of forgiveness.  Be a peacemaker.  Be slow to anger.  Understand that no matter what the action toward you, you control your own reaction. Then you can live a life of joy and as you are a joyful person, you will be amazed at how much more you will enjoy life and how people will be drawn more to you.