| Wise People Avoid Arguments | | By Rick Warren — December 5, 2018 | | "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17 NIV). Have you ever met someone who is always arguing and looking for a fight? I heard about one guy who was so argumentative he would only eat food that disagreed with him. Wise people work at maintaining harmony. James 3:17 says that true wisdom is peace-loving. If you're wise, you don't antagonize people's anger. The Bible also says in Proverbs 20:3, "Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them" (GNT). You can only avoid arguments when you know what leads to them in the first place. Here are three causes of arguments: - Comparing. Do you ever use phrases like, "You're just like . . ." or "Why can't you be like . . ." or "When I was your age . . ."? You're only asking for a fight when you do.
- Condemning. This is where you lay on the guilt: "It's all your fault," "You should be ashamed," "You always" or "You never," "You ought to . . ." or "You shouldn't . . ." are all unhelpful phrases. Someone said, "You can bury a marriage with a lot of little digs." The same can be said for any other relationship.
- Contradicting. William James once said, "The secret of wisdom is knowing what to overlook." You have to learn to let it go! Some things are just not worth the fight.
If you want to be wise in your relationships, don't antagonize others' anger. "A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes" (Proverbs 14:29 TLB).PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk About It - When was the last time you used one of the phrases mentioned in today's devotional? What was the result?
- What is a small grievance that you could choose to overlook in one of your relationships?
- In addition to avoiding the three causes of arguments, how can you actively work to maintain harmony in your relationships?
| | |
| | | Our Gift: Daily Hope 2018 Prayer Journal | Do you sometimes struggle with how to talk and listen to God? The good news is he longs to hear your prayers, whether it's a bold cry or a whisper. And your words don't need to be perfect. He delights in you when you come before him—in thanksgiving and petition. Jesus says in John 15:7 . . . "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." So the key to praying with hope and expectation is abiding in Christ—and we want to help you do that with the all-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal. Your faith will be strengthened and you will be blessed as you look back on your written prayers and see how God has faithfully answered them.
It has a soft cork-like cover on the outside, while inside you'll find . . .
• Bible verses and suggestions to help you pray for specific people and situations
• Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick
• Plenty of space to write out your prayer requests and how God answers them | | | | |
| | | Series Summary | | Message 1: Generosity is Love in Action
Message 2: Leaving a Legacy of Faith
Message 3: Leaving a Legacy of Hope
Message 4: Living by Your Convictions | | | | |
| Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you?
Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.
This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com.
Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He's the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences.
Update your preferences | Unsubscribe | |
This message was intended for: juonec4dmodels.poster@blogger.com
You were added to the system January 14, 2015.
For more information click here. Update your preferences
Unsubscribe | Unsubscribe via email
No comments:
Post a Comment