[Faith-talk] FW: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] Avoid Strife

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Herman" <gospelknight_ht at yahoo.com>
To: URCTCPrayerGroup2 at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [URCTCPrayerGroup2] Avoid Strife
Date: 
Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:50:43 -0000


Avoid Strife



Luke 12:58 "When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as
thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from
him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and the officer cast thee into prison."


Jesus had just spoken about relationships before He gave this parable of
delivering ourselves from the judge. The warning is clear that we should
do everything within our power to avoid strife? Romans 12:18.
However, the consequences of failing to settle the differences are more
than just physical prison or punishment.

Strife can produce spiritual and emotional prisons. James 3:16 says,
"Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."
Depressions, fears, loneliness, bitterness, sicknesses, financial
problems, and many other things can become prisons from which we will
not be delivered until we reconcile.

The dictionary states that to reconcile means "to re-establish
friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute" (American
Heritage). The key to reconciliation is effectively dealing with the
enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that has caused the dispute.
There are several approaches to reconciliation that may be applied. For
instance, If we've offended someone by an unkind word that we've spoken,
we can apologize. If we owe money to someone, we can pay the debt. If
we've done something to someone we can make the necessary restitution.
But in every case, reconciliation lies in dealing effectively with the
root cause of the enmity.

The enmity between man and God was sin. God took the initiative to
remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus
leaving Him and man as friends once again. Thank God for His great love!