Ready to rumble?
Who doesn’t enjoy a good fight? Hardly anyone!
Fights are stressful, rarely helpful but unfortunately, part of life.
Not all fights are full of fists. Some are just all out fits. Some are passive. Others are aggressive.
Fights can bring healing but most of the time they compound hurt.
There is an ole’ saying that says, “A bulldog can whip a skunk but it’s not worth the stink.”
I think that is what the writer of Proverbs had in mind when he repeated the thought in Proverbs 21:9 and 21:19. “It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.” And then again the chapter goes on to say, “It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.”
The ladies are getting a bad wrap here. The real question is what is causing all the quarreling. Yes, she could be the issue but more than likely there is plenty of blame to go around.
James 4:1 gives a hint to the cause of quarrels. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?”
Now we are getting somewhere. Let’s get to the bottom of the problem. The source? We want something and we don’t get it. So what do we do? We fight for it! Yup, good ole’ selfishness has raised its ugly head.
The next time you get into a quarrel with your spouse, a friend, a service provider or the man upstairs, ask yourself, “What am I fighting for?” Are you fighting for the greater good or simply because you aren’t getting what you want?
Let’s recognize the source of the quarrels among us. Rather than the one found at the end of our index finger, perhaps it is the one to which that finger is attached!
Conflict is coming. The opportunity to fuss and fight finds its way into our lives each and everyday.
Let’s become more aware of the role we can play as a peacemaker not a troublemaker.
There is certainly a time to stand up for something worth fighting for. There are also times when mercy, grace and love can save a whole lot of hurt, resentment and broken relationships.
Are you ready to rumble? You can choose to live in the attic and all alone in the desert or you can look for ways to give more of yourself and grab less of your selfish desires.
Life is just better that way! Put down the gloves and reach for a hug!
