Wednesdays in the Word: Meddling with Strife

I have spent the evening reworking my blog design and in doing so, came across a number of entries in my draft folder!  This entry is from September 28, 2011.  I have no idea why it was never published but ~wow~, the Lord really spoke to me through it this evening. And since I couldn't come up with anything fresh to say, I'm finally going to hit the 'publish' button!  Have a blessed evening!
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This journey of life is one that is ever-changing and full of lessons to be learned along the way. While I spend my days as a homeschooling mama teaching our children, there is One who is ever faithful to teach me some hard lessons as well!  And my heavenly Teacher not only gives the lessons but He makes me demonstrate my knowledge of the solution in day to day experiences! 

People who homeschool do so for a variety of reasons. In our home, one big reason is that we want to be able to inundate our children with God’s Word (which is commanded by the Lord in Deut. 6:6-9) and teach them from it so that they will one day be able to face this wicked culture with strength and not compromise. Part of the way we do that is to memorize verses that help them in real life situations. 

Our verse this week can be found in Proverbs 26:17:

He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife

Belonging not to him,

Is like one that taken a dog by the ears.

How often have we each been pulled into situations that haven nothing to do with us? We see it a lot in children, where one child will get mad at another and solicit their mutual friends to take a side. Unfortunately, we also see it in homes, churches and workplaces. How sad. 

The Bible says that messing with problems that do not concern you is like going up to a dog and grabbing it by the ears. I don’t know about you, but if I want to make friends with a strange dog, I am not going to grab it by the ears! That’s just foolish! Indeed, when we meddle with strife that isn’t ours, we are acting like fools. 

The Bible has a lot to say about fools but probably some of my favorite verses are Proverbs 26:4-5

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

If those verses leave you scratching your head, thinking that the Bible is contradicting itself, let me assure you, it is not. What I get from those verses is that you just can’t win when dealing with a fool! Have you ever tried to converse with someone who just wants to argue for the sake of arguing? If you don’t speak, they goad you. If you do speak, they argue. That’s a fool! The best thing that you can do is r-u-n, because you are meddling with strife that isn’t yours to meddle with.

Ironically, the Lord tested my learning of this Scripture very recently.  To engage or not engage.  To bother or not bother, and my husband reminded me of the following verses.Thank God for a Spirit-filled husband!

But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
(Tit 3:9-11)

Really, it’s an issue of pride. “I am going to be right, no matter what!” Some lessons are learned the hard way, but praise the Lord, He never stops teaching and testing and forgiving and loving me as I learn!  So what am I trying to say?   Please do not waste your time fretting over strife that isn’t yours. Walk away from situations that do not concern you. Not only is it biblical but it will save you from hurt and heartache. Avoid people who would pull you into strife, use your block feature online and pray for that person!  First, it's hard to feel negatively about someone you're praying for and second, that person probably needs a lot of prayer!

Isn’t the Lord wonderful? He shows us exactly how to have a peaceful life, if we’ll only stop and listen. What strife have you meddled with that wasn’t yours? Confess it! Do you see areas where you could be pulled in and asked to take a side? Determine in your heart not to. Ask the Lord for His help.

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

(Eph 5:15)

Have a blessed day!

© Adorning Grace 2011