Pulling those ears?

Interfering in some else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears. (Proverbs 26:17)

If you have ever caught yourself ‘putting in your two cent’s worth’ in the middle of some else’s disagreement with someone, you know how quickly that might have backfired. You just thought you were ‘helping’, but somehow the disagreement just got worse, or the tables changed, and you became the focus of the issue. Not a pleasant place to find oneself. Much better to remain silent, lift a few prayers for each to see wisdom in the matter, and allow God to intervene – not you!

Arguments happen, but we don’t have to act as the arbitrator for all of them. Sometimes the other parties just need to work it out themselves – more being learned in the ‘working it out process’ than if you shut it down with your advice or meddling. Most of the ‘learning’ that comes when two people disagree comes when each one examines their own heart and finds any place where they might have been ‘at fault’. Arguments are rarely deemed ‘no fault’, but it is not uncommon to want to ‘find fault’ with the ‘other guy’ in the disagreement.

If there is an important reason for us to be involved, God will make it clear. Prying into the affairs of others is always deemed unwise unless God leads. Wise people don’t intrude into the conflicts of another. Intervening when someone is being grossly attacked or abused might be okay, but the everyday conflicts that occur within relationships rarely require our intervention unless they are our own conflicts! Beware of ‘butting in’ where you are uninvited. It will always backfire on you! Just sayin!

We need revival

T. S. Eliot asks, "Where is all the knowledge we lost with information?" God reminds us, "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7) Knowing 'more' doesn't always make us any wiser in our choices, does it? In fact, a good many of our choices are simply made because others are making that choice. We are influenced by what we see, hear, and come to accept as truth. When knowledge turns us away from God's truth, we will make unwise choices. When knowledge is the result of embracing truth, we find our steps are more certain and our choices are actually narrowed quite a bit.

Information abounds, but knowledge that comes from a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus seems to be lacking in many cases. Our nation struggles because of the 'information overload' we receive each day, but there is little truth contained within that 'load'. Most of us hunger for truth - simply because we have come to hear so many untruths over the last few decades, with each passing year bringing more confusion and less 'foundational truth'. Maybe I am on a soapbox this morning, but I see information coming at us from all sides and yet we often choose to ignore what scripture plainly says regarding the issue at hand. 

What is the answer? This world needs a 'revival' of truth. Acts of aggression are all around us, some in full support of them, while others feel it is wrong. Bullying is a 'real thing' that doctors are taught to actually screen for in their exam of kids these days. Whole fields of study have emerged simply because society 'labels' individuals, aims threats at them, and gives others fuel for their own aggressive acts. Until we recognize the evil around us as just that - evil - we will never be able to curb the increasing tide of negative and harmful influence all around us. The world needs more than another 'great leader' - it needs more 'great servants'. 

The answer is for us to be examples - to not only hear the Word of God, but to become 'doers' of the Word. We must stand with those who cannot stand alone. We must bind up the wounds of those who have been affected by the aggression of others. We must be agents of peace and reconciliation. What does it mean to reconcile? It isn't that we bow to whatever is not desired - giving into it. It is that we 'win over' those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior by being good examples of his grace and love in an otherwise very negative and hostile world. Just sayin!

Don't be a vessel

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. (Mark Twain)

If we were to be honest about our anger, we would likely acknowledge there is something within us that was wounded - our pride took a hit of some sort. Most of the time it is not that we just have a bad temper - it is an issue with our pride that causes us to have those outbursts that bring riffs in relationships. Most of us don't have 'rage issues' or 'bad tempers' - we just get a bit miffed at one another on occasion because something struck us wrong, we were disappointed by some response, or we just plain got our undies in a bundle because we didn't get our own way. I know - I just meddled in your mess a bit - but I also am meddling in mine!

If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry—don’t give the devil that sort of foothold. (Ephesians 4:26)

I think this translation of this passage does a disservice by using the word 'if' - it is more accurate to use the word 'when' you are angry. God knows when our pride gets in the way, anger may not be far behind. We get 'moody' and a bit 'testy' when we find ourselves with a bit of 'wounding' to our pride. It comes out in all kinds of forms - curtness, sulking, shutting someone out. Regardless of the form it takes, it is something WE must own - because anger in any form is our doing, not the other person's. 

I think that is why Twain reminded us of the 'acidity' of anger when it is 'stored up' within us. It actually eats away at us - not the other person. God reminded us to not 'hold up' anger - deal with it in the here and now, not allowing the devil to get a foothold that could eventually become a stronghold in our lives. Anger isn't always someone else's fault - sometimes we do or say things that just escalate the situation and lead to things being said or done that would not have been otherwise. Remember: "He who angers you conquers you." (Elizabeth Kenny)

Rather than allowing the wound to fester, we owe each other the benefit of forgiveness. We actually might need to admit our 'pride' took a bit of a hit, but when we are humble enough to say we didn't respond well, we are on the road to letting go of the offense before it has a chance to become 'acidic' in our relationship. The hardest lesson we may have to learn is how to lay down our pride and actually learn how to reconcile issues as they arise. Reconciliation requires humility - there is no room for wounded pride if two are to agree on anything. Just sayin!