Some people in life seem to walk around with a large wooden spoon.
Why? Because they like to stir the pot of discontent in a family or workplace or school or even in a congregation.
Though most of us are repulsed by such behavior, do we typically respond to it in the most godly way?
Sometimes yes and sometimes no.
It’s an easy trap, this invitation to play on the quarrelsome person’s turf of turmoil.
But we must resist the temptation to walk on quicksand and think we’re Jesus walking on water.
If we start thinking that we can promote godliness in others by choosing the ungodly path of trying to out-quarrel them, we are sadly mistaken and sinfully promoting greater misbehavior of one who will almost surely fight fire with fire.
With somebody known for twisting words and truth, it’s vital that we always stay on the high road, doing what Paul told the church at Rome in Romans 12:21.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Why this topic today? In today’s reading from the One-Year Bible, we read Solomon’s wisdom on the topic:
“It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.” (Proverbs 21:9)
Being a quarrelsome person is really a bad thing if it causes so much frustration in others that they’d want to give up all their earthly comforts just to get away from it.
Solomon lived in a palace but wrote these words. We can only surmise that he dealt with a lot of fussing at home, not surprising in view of the fact that he had hundreds of wives and even more concubines.
The point here is not to hype the stereotype of offensively nagging wives, but instead to highlight the ungodly nature of either gender becoming a quarrelsome spouse or a defiant child or a coercive parent or a pot-stirring employee or a jealous sibling or a nasty neighbor or an angry classmate or a divisive church member.
Let’s pray that the Lord quickly reveal to us whenever we’re slipping toward a quarrelsome nature. That way, we can ask for God’s help in returning to a Christlike attitude that won’t have people heading to the corner of the attic.
As always, I love you
Martin
My Daddy keeps cursing me out everyday. He made me cry yesterday. I just try to get away from him when he gets in these moods. If I do finally get him to talk to me all he wants to do is be angry at everything and everybody. He gets mad because I just walk away rather than being verbally abused. That’s the only way I know how to deal with this behaviour don’t say anything and, just walk away. What do I do? In essences what would Jesus do? Help please.
Please advise what scriptures you have consulted and if you’ve talked with your pastor about this.
Martin
Sorry for not responding earlier, but just saw this… not sure why it didn’t show up to me earlier.
Please let me know if you’d still like to communicate regarding your concern.
Blessings!
Martin