Strife causes contention and separation among people. It is a verbal competition to see who will win the disagreement or debate. Generally those who are striving to get somewhere have a bigger problem with this issue because they have a goal to achieve. Anyone who seems to be a hindrance to that goal becomes a point of strife or contention in their lives. This could be a loved one, a friend, a boss, or even the Lord himself.
Strife is not a root issue but a fruit issue. When we see strife in our lives, we should examine this fruit against the scripture to find out why we are experiencing it. What are the root issues that have caused us to get to this point?
According to Webster’s Dictionary:
Strife: bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension, an act of contention : exertion or contention for superiority
Contention: something (such as a belief, opinion, or idea) that is argued or stated, anger and disagreement, a situation in which you have a chance to win something that you are trying to win
Jealousy and strife go hand in hand
Wherever there is jealousy, there is an open to strife. These sins are generally stated one after another in the scripture. If you find yourself in strife especially with one or two specific individuals, it would be important to ask the Lord to show you if you have any jealousy or envy towards them. Most likely the strife will not go away until you have dealt with the issue of jealousy.
Pride leads to strife
By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.? Proverbs 13:10
People who are proud generally have a hard time agreeing with others. Pride causes disagreements, which results in strife. If we find ourselves in strife with others, we should look at our pride level. Do we see ourselves better than others? Do we think we are more knowledgeable than others? Do we believe we are more qualified than someone else? Do we think we need to be more respected/appreciated for who we are or what we do?
A proud person generally wants to ensure that their input is received and regarded as important. Unfortunately, that’s the opposite of what they experience because people generally like to get counsel/wisdom from a humble and non-arugmentative person.
Hatred can produce strife
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. Proverbs 10:12
If we have hatred in our heart towards someone, the person hated can’t do anything right. Anything they say or do is questioned, criticized, or minimized to ensure the person will not get credit for any good they may do. They may not be perfect but the fact that we can’t give them credit for anything good that they do, is our heart issue. At this point, we are not representing the Lord properly anymore because we are more concerned about our own issues rather than the truth.
Ask God to take the hatred and replace it with love. If we need to forgive them again and let go of the past, we should do it. We may not trust the person right away, but we don’t have to be critical or suspicious of them either.
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.