Articles
Avoid Quarreling
Proverbs 20:3 says, “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel.”
I have an Uncle Know-It-All who also loves to argue. I remember after one exasperating debate about some insignificant matter, his daughter looked at me and said, “What were you thinking? Did you forget who you were arguing with?” Since that day I’ve avoided any conflict with Uncle Know-It-All by simply listening patiently when he feels obligated to share his opinions. I know that any thing I say will only make matters worse.
It seems that a lot of folks are just itchin’ to fight, and they’re going to try their best to argue their point stronger and louder than the other guy. They believe the way to live their life is to fight fire with fire. But remember what the wise man said, “Any fool can start a quarrel.” It’s the honorable man who stops it. It’s the strong man who can walk away and overlook ignorant and offensive comments. The weak man escalates the hostilities.
The next time you’re tempted to fight fire with fire, remember the Bible also teaches, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
