If you are unable to read this email clearly, then please click here to view it in your browser.
by Dr Andre and Jenny Roebert
Thursday, 07 February 2019 | Reading taken from Proverbs 26:21 (NIV)
Proverbs 26:21 (NIV): "As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife."
The devil will use envy and strife to destroy the relationships in your life, if you give him the chance. James 3:16 Says, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." His intent is to bring division and disunity and he uses strife to do it. Psalm 133:3 tells us that where there is unity, God commands His blessing and life, so it's no wonder the devil loves to stir up strife and division. That's why it's critical for us to recognize strife in our lives and know how to stand against it. Did you notice how the Bible couples envy and strife together? They both are rooted in the same desire to push their own agenda, convictions or ideas to the exclusion of anyone else's. When we become so obsessed with our own view of things that we can't see or hear the view of anyone else, it's a sure sign that strife and envy are at work. That doesn't mean you have to agree with opinions that are contrary to yours, you can agree to disagree, without having a condescending, quarrelsome attitude. We must be careful to not become so clouded by our ambition to see our own views adopted that we have no tolerance for anyone who sees things differently than we do. James 3:16 goes on to say that envy and strife lead to confusion and every evil work. This is where rational thinking is replaced by raw emotions, and people end up getting hurt. We can stop this from happening by choosing to consider other people's opinions to be just as important as our own. We can stop the devil's plan for destroying our relationships by showing others we value the right for them to have a differing opinion to ours. Let's determine to walk in God's blessings as we act in love and speak life to one another.