What’s Wrong With A Good Fight?

REFERENCE: Proverbs 20:3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.

Observation: Many of us (especially men) were taught that to never back down from a fight is a mark of honor. We may not resort to fisticuffs but we may find ourselves engaging in arguments with family and friends when we really don’t need to. Too often we feel like our value and worth is on the line when we get into a quarrel. Perhaps it seems that our spouse doesn’t understand or value what we are saying. Maybe a friend is acting in a way that makes us feel uncared for.

The point is that most of the time when fighting happens it is because our ego is on the line. We feel like, and would love to believe that we are fighting for truth and justice - that we are on the side of the angels in our dispute. Truthfully, if we are willing to really look at it, our motives are usually much more selfish. It is much more often about us and our needs rather than THE TRUTH (as if we have a corner on that)

My wife often reminds me that relationship is more important that getting my way. She is right and we would do well to remember that when we feel like fighting. The honor is in avoiding a fight, learning to communicate with respect and making our concern be about meeting the other’s needs rather than our own.

Application/Confession: I love to argue. I must remember that it does much more harm than good. I love my wife and my friends more and I want to have peace, love and joy in my relationships.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for the ways you have help me to put away arguing and fighting. I still have a ways to go. Help me to honor peace over conflict and love over getting others to see it my way.

7/26/2007 - Today's reading

Posted by sunshine1028 As usual, very insightful. You make scripture personalas it should be.
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