AVOIDING UNNECESSARY STRIFE

So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives – Gen 13:8

The Scripture does not endorse hostility but tranquility. God is the God of peace and has bequeathed His peace to us (John 14:27). The Scripture requires that you follow peace with all men. Hence, the mark of a true Disciple or team player is the ability to work in harmony with other team members. For a group to pull together as a team, the work atmosphere must be void of strife and needless contention, which gets the team nowhere. As a member of a team, you need to bear in mind that you cannot succeed by working apart from others instead of building interpersonal and emotional bridges. Hence, it bears mentioning that as a child of God, you are endowed with grace and authority to wrestle with the devil and not against flesh and blood.

When the herdsmen of Abram and Lot weren’t able to get along with each other, Abram had to weigh in with a resolution to settle the score. He was able to reach the meeting of the minds with Lot, instead of engendering a hostile atmosphere. If you resolve to treat people with respect and accommodate their differences without compromising standards, you will be able to play a big part in building a healthy working atmosphere. However, those who find it difficult to mend fences make themselves a clog in the wheel of progress.

To avoid unnecessary strife, you need to be a troubleshooter. When hostility cannot settle in your blood, there will be an inherent hunger to seek peace. Another way to avert strife is to be slow to anger. When you struggle to keep your anger in check, perhaps unknown to you, you might be inciting others to spit blood. Had Abram not chimed in with the spirit of gentleness, he could have caused a scene, such that both he and Lot would have been left in a shambles. Finally, to avoid strife, you must be able to see the handwriting on the wall when strife is brewing. When you have the foresight that someone is spoiling for a fight, you could decide to steer clear and avert being lured to fight. As you yield your heart to seek peace and pursue it passionately, may you enjoy sound mind to make impactful decision and also to enjoy the peace of God which surpasses all human understanding in Jesus name.