Not Quarrelsome
“And the servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.” 2 Timothy 2:24
I am not sure what is happening in our “Christian” world, but I have seen an increase in the past several months of bickering, complaining, and quarreling in the body of Christ like never before. We spend a lot of time trying to encourage pastors and their wives in our ministry at America’ Keswick, and it is a sad indictment on the church that there are people who are intent in getting their own way and having their own agenda, and doing so in an un-Christlike way.
Dr. Henry Blackaby nails it when he writes about this in his daily devotional, Experiencing God … The Devotional:
There should be no quarrelsome Christians. The truth of God is within us; we need never be intimidated or frustrated by those who do not accept God’s truth.
At times people may dispute you regarding God’s Word. Perhaps they question the way you say He is leading you, or they may challenge your faith in God. At times like these it is never helpful to argue. You will never debate anyone into the kingdom of God. You will never persuade someone that God has spoken to you by outarguing them! Only God can convince others of the veracity of God’s Word to you!
If you allow God to vindicate you in His time, and in His way, a time will come when the wisdom of your choice will be evident (Luke 7:35). If you find yourself often quarreling with others, you need to ask God to clearly reveal your motives and to forgive you for your disobedience to His clear command.
If your motivation for arguing comes from your desire to be right, or to be exonerated, or to gain the esteem of those listening to you, you are acting selfishly, and God will not honor you. God is not interested in how right you are. He is interested in how obedient you are.
God’s command is not that you win arguments, but that you are kind and forgiving when others mistreat you. You bring God no honor by winning a dispute in His name, but you reflect a Christ-like character when you demonstrate patience to those who mistreat you or misunderstand your motives. Arguing may never win people to your view, but loving them as Christ does will win you many friends over time.
Brothers, if you have a quarrelsome spirit, it’s time to repent and ask God to help you live in victory in this area of your life. Confess your sin to Him and allow Him to transform your life in this area. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick
Dig This Quote: We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. Oswald Chambers
Determined Digging: Level 1: John 14:27; Level 2: Matthew 6:25-29
Determined Praying: Prayer is not something I do; prayer is something I am! – Warren Wiersbe
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