Disagreements

If there is one thing that surfaces every time there is an election, it is disagreements. These disagreements can lead to arguments and bad feelings towards others. We must learn that our fight is not against people, it is against ideas in our heads that will disagree with others. These disagreements are part of human nature but they are not part of Spiritual nature.

Hurt caused by disagreements is just that - our reaction to a situation or something said. Words do not hurt us, our feelings hurt us mostly when what we believe to be true is challenged by something that differs from what we think.

We must never let our emotions dictate how we act towards someone though. We can easily agree to disagree and leave it at that so as not to affect relationships as we are commanded to love all, including our perceived "enemies" to our emotions.

Both 2 Tim 2:22-26 and Titus 3:9 tell us to avoid foolish controversies and quarrels as they are unprofitable and worthless". But we are to speak the truth in love to help those "young" in the faith to learn (Eph 4:15).

The "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal 5:22-23). Quarrelling over trivial matters is not the character of a Christian. As we are told in 1 Cor 2:13, "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words." 

Let God guide us in truth by His Spirit by His word. We must remember by, 2 Peter 1:20-21 that "no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God." Even the prophets didn't make things up the way they wanted, they just spoke as they were shown.

So, as Paul writes to Timothy, "“Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen” (2 Tim. 2:14). Christians should not be complainers (Phil 2:14) and do all things without murmuring and disputing. For we are warned in Gal 5:15, "if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another." This is the task of the devil, our destroyer (John 10:10).

Do not give in to satan (his name means adversary, accuser, opponent - someone against God's way of life and love) and keep love as we are commanded or we are not children of God (1 John 4:8).

God is Spirit (John 4:24) and God is love (1 John 4:7). Satan is the author of lies, deceit, hate and destruction. Let us be careful in how we treat one another and not hold our own esteem and pride above God's command to love.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9) ... As our Lord and God says, "Come now, let’s settle this." (Isaiah 1:18)