Christian Living
Strife is angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues. Strife often presents as conflicts, contentions, discord, dissensions and variances.
As a Christian, eliciting or reacting to strife is like playing with fire; strife is not your friend.
Strife will pull you down, draw you back and generally inhibit you from reaching your destiny in God.
Dear friend, strife is not your friend. It distracts you and steals your focus. Every time you respond to strife, you let someone else determine the course of your life. By living a life of strife, you unintentionally ‘follow’ someone steadily without even realizing it.
Living a life of strife dulls your spirit to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Strife is a negative anointing ‘depleter’.
What Else Does The Bible Say About Strife?
Nothing good at all….
Strife is listed among ungodly traits…
“being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers“
Romans 1:29 NKJV
Strife is associated with sin....
“He who loves strife and is quarrelsome loves transgression and involves himself in guilt; he who raises high his gateway and is boastful and arrogant invites destruction.”
Proverbs 17:19 AMPC
Strife is an indication of carnality….
Strife is not a fruit of the recreated human spirit. If a Christian regularly operates in strife, it locates him/her at the level of carnality (1 Corinthians 3:3).
“for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, STRIFE, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?“
I Corinthians 3:3 NKJV
A carnal Christian is someone who has made Jesus Lord and Saviour of his/her life but who hasn’t allowed his/her mind to be renewed by the Word (Romans 12:2). A carnal Christian succumbs easily to the detects of the flesh rather than submitting to the leading of the Spirit.
What’s The Root of Strife?
1. Strife always starts from what is seen, heard or perceived….
“Cast out the SCOFFER, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.“
Proverbs 22:10 NKJV
“Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no TALEBEARER, strife ceases.“
Proverbs 26:20 NKJV
2. Strife is an indication of pride …
By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.
Proverbs 13:10 NKJV
“he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions”
I Timothy 6:4 NKJV
3. Strife also emanates from disputes and contentions…
“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.”
II Timothy 2:23 NKJV
“As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.”
Proverbs 26:21 NKJV
“he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions”
I Timothy 6:4 NKJV
“The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.”
Proverbs 17:14 NKJV
4. Strife sometimes reveals an existing hatred or strong dislike in someone’s heart....
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”
Proverbs 10:12 NKJV
5. Strife can also be an expression of untamed anger and unforgiveness…..
“A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.”
Proverbs 15:18 NKJV
“An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.”
Proverbs 29:22 NKJV
“For as the churning of milk produces butter, and wringing the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.
Proverbs 30:33 NKJV
Why Is Strife a Problem?
1. Strife has no spiritual benefit; it only pacifies the flesh temporarily.
2. Strife destroys relationships…
“A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.“
Proverbs 16:28 NKJV
3. Strife introduces distance between people…..
“Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.”
Proverbs 17:1 NKJV
4. Strife distracts and steals your focus
Can A Believer Avoid Strife?
Strife will eventually destroy your destiny, deal with it on time.
Control what you see or hear. There are certain gists or discussions that are irrelevant to your spritual wellbeing. You don’t have to know everything about every body.
“Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.”
Proverbs 22:10 NKJV
Avoid people with a tendency to incite strife- keep them at a safe distance; limit your exposure to them.
“Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.“
Proverbs 26:20 NKJV
“As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.”
Proverbs 26:21 NKJV
Seperate yourself from people who cause strife.. Abram understood this hence his decision to seperate from Lot and his men….
“And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”
Genesis 13:7-9 NKJV
You don’t have to proof a point at every time. You don’t always have to be right. Be wise and know when to step back or walk away. Know when to speak and when to keep quiet….
“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.”
II Timothy 2:23 NKJV
Offense is inevitable, when offended, forgive. Jesus says forgive and let it go (Luke 17:1-4).
Intentionally and sincerely submit to walking in the Spirit….Don’t just talk about it, don’t assume you know it, submit yourself to it and do it..
“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.”
Romans 13:13 NKJV
Don’t let strife stifle your spiritual progress, walk in love….
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”
Proverbs 10:12 NKJV
