How To Avoid Strife

Should not be the case. Many siblings are divided

because of the strife they caused each other, because

they're constantly arguing and pulling each other apart.

Sometimes siblings know they love each other, but they never

show it because they're constantly fighting and pulling

each other apart. If you're there in Proverbs

Proverbs 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3, we'll read verse 30. It says strive not with a man

without cause if he have done the no harm.

And it clearly says here in Proverbs 330, we shouldn't

strive against each other. So why shouldn't we strive?

What even is strife? Is strife ever good?

Well, I plan to look at these questions in my message here

today. As you might have guessed, the

topic I'll be dealing with is avoiding strife.

The title of my message is simply how to avoid strife.

Let's pray and we'll get in the message here today.

Your father thing for this day. Thank you all for the lunch

we're able to have. Thank you.

They're able to meet in this building here today.

I pray that a message will encourage people and that we'll

all be able to get something out of this.

And I pray that you give us a good rest of the day today.

And Jesus name. The first point I have for you

here today is what is strife? Well, to answer that question,

turn your Bibles to Galatians chapter 5.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

I'll be reading verse 19 in a few seconds here, but strife is

usually arguing or verbal fighting if you will, which

could even lead to physical fighting.

But it's always caused by pride and anger and bitterness are

major factors in causing strife. But it's all it's a pride issue

glaze if you're there in Galatians 5 it says in verse 19.

Now the works of the flesh are made manifest.

Which are these? Adultery, fornication,

uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,

variance, emulations. Which means jealousy, wrath,

strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, junketness,

revelings and such like of the witch.

I tell you before, as I've told you in time past, that they

which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Notice in verse 20 that God takes strife very seriously.

We can tell that he takes strife very seriously because he

includes it with such. What more major sins, if you

will, such as adultery, fornication, murder, idolatry,

and witchcraft. And so the answer to what strife

is, is it's a sin. He calls it a work of the flesh

in verse 19. The work of the flesh is simply

a sin because when we're when we sin, we're in the flesh and not

in the spirit of God. We shouldn't take part in strife

because if we're saved, we should be trying to act as God

acts. We should act in the spirit and

not as the old man. That and the flesh.

We should act as the new man. And since we're saved, we should

constantly be trying to be more like Christ.

So we've talked about what strife is.

Let's look at #2. How do we strive?

Well, we argue. Happens a lot between brothers

and sisters. They're constantly arguing, and

arguing is more one of the more common striving techniques, if

you will. But here, here's some reasons

why a argument might start. Somebody always has to be right

or maybe maybe they don't always always have to be right, but

they can never be wrong. They can never admit to being

wrong. They always have to be right.

And that's a pride, an issue of pride.

Another thing somebody can't lose.

I'm not good at losing, especially when it comes to

Alex. But because he's younger than me

and I always, I feel I always have to do better than he does.

But it's an it's another thing that can cause strife and

argument and that's that's not good.

But those are things that we should try to avoid.

Constant arguing between people is not good because we'll it'll

pull people, friends, family members, siblings especially.

It'll pull them apart. We also another way of how we

strive is we might fight physically.

That's not good when it's caused by strife.

If you're out in the yard with your brother and you're

wrestling it to have a good time, then that's fine.

But if you're taking out your strife and your feelings on

them, on your brother by punching him or something else,

using it as a punching bag. And that's not good either,

especially when it's caused by strife.

So we've talked about what strife is, how we strive.

Let's look at #3. Why do we strive?

Well, number one, we're human. We're only human.

We're not perfect and never will be because only God is perfect

when we will only be perfect when we get to heaven and have

our glorified bodies. Since we're imperfect, we will

strive. It's it's kind of a fact of life

almost. But however, imperfection is not

an excuse to strive. We should always be trying to be

perfect, even though we never will be until we get to heaven.

Striving is a sin that's caused by pride and since we are

sinners we have the tendency to strive.

Proverbs 13 cents says only by pride come with contention, but

with the well advised is wisdom. Verse Timothy 6, three and four

says, if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome

words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the

doctrine which is according to godliness, He verse four is the

key. To this he is proud, knowing

nothing but doting upon questions and strifes of words,

whereof cometh, envy, strife, railings, and evil surmiving

surmisings. The key what it says there is

that if you're proud, that's what will cause strife, because

it says at the end whereof cometh, envy, strife, railings,

evil surmisings. The another reason of why do we

strive, we given to the temptation to strive.

When you're feeling weak spiritually and physically,

that's when the devil will most likely tempt you to strive.

That meaning if your brother or sister comes along and they say

something that is obnoxious or they can start, that would start

an argument. The easiest thing for you to do

is, given the temptation the devil gives you, to say

something right back to continue the argument.

But that's not what we should do.

We should be trying to avoid that or not give in to the

temptation. He tempts you to strive the

devil, so you will sin. So it's a it's a sin against

God, but also it will cause discourse between you, your

friends, family members, siblings, and this ultimately

causes fewer things to be accomplished.

For God. There's because if you're not

working together then there's less things that can be

accomplished for God. May I remind you of what we read

in Proverbs 2923? Says a man's pride shall bring

him low, but honor shall uphold the humble and spirit Our pride

also will give, will make us give in to the temptation.

So we need to be willing to swallow our pride and not give

in to the temptation. So we've talked about what

strife is, how we strive, why we strive.

And now #4. I'd like to ask another

question. Is strife ever good?

Well, for the answer to that question, turn to Philippians

chapter one. It should be just a few books

over if you're still in Galatians and Paul is talking to

the Philippians. Here he says he's talking about

how we should fight against the world, says in Philippians one

verse 27 only let your conversation be as it becometh

the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you or

else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand

fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the

faith of the gospel. Well, in this verse it says that

it's good to strive for the faith of the gospel.

This means we must strive against what the world has at

what what the world is pushing so we can continue serving

Christ and that we can give the gospel to more people.

So is strife good? Sometimes, yes, when you're

striving against the world to further the gospel of Christ,

But if you're striving against each other, that's when it's not

good. And this brings me to my last

point and really the entire point of the message, which is

how can you avoid strife? Well, number one, you can think

before you speak. Thinking about what you say

before you say it can can stop many arguments before they ever

start. Stop arguments while they're

going even. And like I said earlier, arguing

is one of the most common tactics of strife.

And again, many arguments could be stopped if if you just think

about what you're saying before you say, if you think of

something obnoxious to say or just to get under somebody's

skin or did that would start an argument, then just think about

it and either say something nicer or and.

And again, thinking before speaking doesn't always mean

that you have to say something wiser or better kinder than what

you were going to say. It can just mean not saying

anything at all. And so #1 we can think before we

speak. Another way of how we can avoid

strife is not to give into the temptation to strive.

This is definitely easier said than done.

But what it says in First Corinthians 10/13 it says here

there have no temptation taken you, but such as is common to

man. But God is faithful who will not

suffer you to be tempted. Above that you're able but will

with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be

able to bear it. This pastor clearly states that

when Satan tempts us to strive, God will help us to not fall to

the temptation so we have. Don't give into the temptation

to strive thinking before you speak.

I was ways to avoid strife and #3 try to get into the habit of

complimenting each other and saying positive things to each

other instead of things that will start arguments or be

obnoxious. This especially is for brothers

and sisters because they're always seems like they're always

trying to get under somebody else's skin or start an

argument. Something like that.

If I say Riley, your hair looks nice today.

Alex, your tie looks nice today. Levi, your suit coat looks nice

today. These are if you get into the

habit of complementing each other, then that will your

strife will cease because there's there's less things to

strive over. And if you're constantly being

nice. Except to Alex, except I

couldn't find anything. But anyway, if you're constantly

being nice to each other, then your strife should cease because

there's nothing to strive over. Last thing, a voice you can

avoid strife, is admit that you're wrong.

Strife, but like I said before, is caused by pride.

It's caused when someone has too much pride and will not admit to

being wrong. We need to be willing to admit

that we're wrong sometimes. Sometimes you're you are saying

something. It could be the simplest thing,

but you won't won't admit that you're wrong if somebody says,

oh, that's not right, this is. This is actually what it is.

But you say no, this is what it is.

But anyway, so we need to be willing to admit they're wrong.

In closing, I'd like to remind you that strife, again, is

caused by pride. If we can swallow our pride,

even if we want to start an argument, say something

obnoxious and just in general strife, your strife will cease.

If you can swallow your pride, your life will be much more

happy. Because if you're doing the

right thing and not causing strife or taking part in strife,

then everyone around you will see that and they'll want the

same thing you have and and and there there will be less things

to strive over. I hope this message was an

encouragement and reminder to you, and I hope that everyone

was able to get something out of this today.

I certainly did, especially looking at the passages and

studying for this message. But let's pray and we'll be done

here today. Dear Father, thanks for this

day. I pray that you'd help everyone

here to have gotten something out of this.

And I pray that you give us a good rest of the day, and thank

you for all the things to do for us in Jesus name.

Amen. Amen.

Good reminder. You know, a lot of times he, he

focused a lot on on on younger people and siblings and

everything else. But that's that's exactly what

happens in a church. Often, too, our pride gets in

the way. We can't admit that we're wrong.

We say something to somebody without thinking about it first

and the next thing you know, there's there's division within

a church and it'll destroy a family.

To destroy a church, it's destroyed our nation.

You can see that just by seeing what's going on in our world

today, right? But good reminder, let's go

ahead and stand at our seats and with our heads.