Bible Verse of the Day Sunday January 8th, 2023

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.

When we feel that someone has wronged or offended us, our first human instinct is to retaliate to get them back. Many today want to quote the Old Testament “eye for an eye” verse. Most likely, they do not know where it is in the Bible, and if they do, they have missed the meaning of it altogether. Jesus cleared this misunderstanding during the most paramount sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38-41). The constant stirring up of controversy, discord, or conflict is a clear example of a heart filled with hatred that results in quarrels lasting for months or even years. This contention between brothers and sisters in Christ has its foundation in pride. Pride is sometimes challenging to detect, but God has made it clear to us how to reveal or identify this pride by looking at the fruits which we produce.

Any quarrel between God’s Children will extinguish if both parties humble themselves before God. Pride will exacerbate and ignite evil passions and hurt feelings. Through this prideful attitude, some see a justification to fight back, so the battle continues. If we ever find ourselves in contention with someone that seems to go on without a clear end in sight, it would be well advised to realize that pride is the core and foundation of the issue. This contention will never come to an end until at least one of the people in the conflict realizes that and stop it, we must decline to argue back. Moreover, quashing and crushing the wrong attitude that we must always win. 

If you want to make a giant step in your spiritual walk with Christ Jesus, realize it is unimportant that you win. God is still on His throne and is still in control, and He loves both people in the conflict. When both people humble themselves, God will show both what the right decision should be. If we will put it in God’s hands, pray, and search His Holy Word, He will reveal to us the answer to settle the conflict. Then and only then will the dispute come to an end, and the peace of God restored in the lives of all concerned. 

Seeking revenge for some feeling that we have been wronged, and trying to make someone pay for this, will only bring about more pain and hatred. swallowing our pride is never an easy task; however, all things are possible through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13), and the rewards are out of this world.