Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- May 4, 2012
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: … a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16; 19
The Lord loathes liars and those who stir up dissension because they are masters at sowing seeds of doubt, deception, and discord. Dissenters think the worst of others and pose prideful questions like, “Is he or she really fit for the job?’ “Do they deal with honest intentions?” or “Can this person really be trusted?” A person who stirs up dissension projects their own insecure feelings on the person they are seeking to discredit or even destroy.
Like Saul, their own anger, hurt, and jealousy drive them to delusionary conclusions. It is sad to see them suffer under their own mental anguish, absent of trust in the Lord. Their perspective becomes man-centered, while faith in Christ is jettisoned as irrelevant. Those who stir up dissension need to be dealt with directly and with a heart of compassion.
“The hot-tempered stir up dissension, but those who are patient calm a quarrel.” Proverbs 15:18, TNIV
Therefore, confront in love the one who orchestrates doubt and division among the team. Question their facts and ask them to refrain from gossip and divisive behavior. Lastly, look into your own heart, making sure you are not guilty of lies and deceit. Do not become like your accuser and discredit your integrity. We see shortcomings in others because we struggle with the same familiar sins.
It is cause for humility, as we seek the Lord’s strength and forgiveness. By God’s grace turn mischief into maturity, discord into concord, contentiousness into community, and pride into peace. Use your influence to lead yourself and your team to a higher standard of conduct sanctioned by your Lord Jesus. Conflict with the contentious is meant to grow your character. Hate what the Lord hates, while loving offenders through the process.
“When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7
Who do I need to confront in love about their divisive behavior?
Related Readings: I Samuel 26:1-25; Proverbs 22:10; 26:20; James 3:14-16; 3 John 1:9-10
Post/Tweet this today: Conflict with the contentious is meant to grow your character. #conflict #character
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Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I put three because I heard the Voice of The Father, Son and Holy Spirit as I read this! LOL! Don’t think the enemy can’t trick you to sow dissension, that you are above it because you have been a Christian for a long time. Thank you for this piece, it was inspired and perfect in timing. I just spent a couple of days caught in the grip of choices I made not to trust God in a situation and this became a fast snowball on a ride to and through the briar patch of dissension with all its ugly prickers sticking in my soul. The choice of dissension came on the plate of control, not trusting God, trying to kindle a fire, make a man made light (Isaiah 50) instead of turning to God, letting HIM light up the situation with His wisdom, His ability to take the secrets of the dark and expose them to the Light of His Truth. It came on the heels of a big change I was transitioning through. I kindled a fire, I walked by a man made light, instead of by God’s Light. I decided to take the role of the Holy Spirit and that translates directly into dissension. There is no other road when you take matters in your own hands, but that of dissension. And as Isaiah 50 says when you kindle your own fire and walk by the light of man made fire, you will lay down in torment. The choice for dissension is nothing more than moving out of alignment with God, following a divisive path set out by the enticing of your flesh to “fix things” and it ends up not being a solution but being a way that leads you to soul torment. I tried to “fix” something that I saw as “broken”, now I realize when the common denominator of a “messy situation” is Jesus, you can confidently know that every life problem can be solved in His perfect way! He is the solution! He is the only one who can make a message out of a mess. We make dissension out of a human condition – He makes miracles out of a human condition. Oh please let the next chance He gives me be for HIM making the miracle and not me, making the mess. Thank you for this wisdom today. It has helped me face this situation and learn from it my failure and now with God’s wisdom, future success. God is enough, He does not need me to “fix I”! He’s God This! May you never walk down a path of dissension, it is horrible torment in your soul. And know this, that the person who is being used as a voice of dissension, truly they are suffering in their soul. It is not all good for them either. We all need God, we all need His wisdom that leads us to let go and let God. He’s Got This!
Dear Mr. Bailey,
For the past few months, I have so enjoyed your uplifting daily messages. So much, that I recently sent a donation to help continue your sharing of God’s word.
Now for the past couple of weeks, the feeling I get from your daily message is totally different. It would seem that someone else is writing them. Suddenly, there is no happiness. Wondering if I changed or if you changed your style?
Sometimes I think in the ministry we let diviseness slide due to our own desire to avoid confrontation. And then of course, at times, we ourselves find ourselves being the “pill.” Thanks for sharing these challenging thoughts today!
Dear Judy,
Thank you for your kind and caring observations and for your generous gift to Wisdom Hunters. I did experience prostate cancer treatment two months ago, and God has been faithful during this uncertain time.
I have prayed for the joy of the Lord to be my strength, thank you for your prayers to that end.
How can I pray for you?
Boyd
A friend sent me this link, and I had not read your blog before. As I pondered this wonderful instruction, I felt a tug in my heart about an issue that has been greatly disturbing me as of late and it has to do with how Christians respond politically with those whom we disagree with.
I feel that my poor email inbox gets so much dissention from fellow believers. The most vile forms of slander come through in the form of “jokes” about “the other side”. My heart hurts because I know we can and should do better. How do we look any different than non-believers when we behave like this?
I have been trying to figure out how/if to lovingly confront on this issue. Usually I am silent. I tried a few years ago (FOUR to be exact) and ended up losing friendships over it.
I feel that stirring up dissention and slandering those we don’t agree with politically is equally wrong in God’s eyes. I mean my goodness, can you imagine wittnessing to someone using the same language some of these “Christian” emails about to political left have in them? Ugh! God is not honored and surely cannot be pleased.