August 2009

Proverbs 20:3

"Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor, only fools insist on quarreling"

As we all get ready to go back to the grind of school we are thrust into groups that might test our patience. I know ,even as a middle aged adult, I have times that patience is not one of my finer points. It is times like these we can rise above the normal banter of conflict, to show the unchurched what peace we can have as Gods children.

We have all witnessed or participated in a verbal exchange where there are no winners, just two losers! My wife has so eloquantly exersized the philosophy of choosing her battles. What does that mean? Suppose you only have so many wins in your life for conflicts. Think of each potential conflict and ask yourself is this worth wasting one of my very limited supplies of wins. More times than not it is not worth it and will not be remembered past the hurt days later.

One very strong thought we all need to use prior to any potential conflict is, what situation is the other person coming from. They may have awakened in a home that was not as nice as yours, there may be deep problems within the home, food may be in short supply, money may be a continued discussion in their home. That person may not have the peace that comes along with a relationship with Jesus Christ. Instead of conflict you may use this time to reach out to them, their actions may be a call for help.

Remember the Bible says "Only fools insist on quarreling" Don't be one of the fools.  In Christ Beau   See you at Vertical Fest!!!!!