Winning is not the ultimate prize
of life; it is the manner in which we finish the race that counts the most. It
is often the last straggler across the finish line that receives the most
attention, because they persevered to the very end.
Winning an argument is not
necessary to feel validated either. We can concede that we are wrong, if indeed
we are, without any shame or recrimination.
We have a viewpoint that differs
from our employer's, friend's, neighbor's, child's, parent's or spouse's
perspective; but no less right or wrong than theirs.
There is nothing heroic about
destroying a marriage, because we soon realize that we were acting as pawns on
Satan's game board, playing right into his hands and wreaking havoc for generations
to come.
If both parties in a disagreement
are willing to bear with one another and to lay our life down for each other,
there is always a way to peacefully resolve all issues and to avoid fighting
and drama.
Neither of us is the enemy, we are
simply fellow sojourners in this life with equal rights and privileges in the
family of God. Quickly apologizing from the heart for any hurt we cause during
a disagreement goes a long way in keeping unity in our relations.
Repairing our relationships is so
much more mature than rending them in half and going our separate ways -
leaving a trail of broken hearts and lives behind us. A trained counselor can
help us to negotiate our differences.
Seeking wisdom from God's Word
and His Spirit during times of prayer can also help us to breach any gaps in
our unity. We negotiate until we find common ground on which to stand.
Prayer:
Father God, You remind us not to separate
what You bind together. You admonish us not to break any vow that we make, but
to honor our commitment to one another with charity, patience and kindness. You
want us to work together to find an equitable solution to any conflicts in our
marriage, as well as in our affiliations at work and in Your Body.
Give us Your wisdom to maintain
peace and to show Your agape love to those who wound us; to turn the other
cheeks and to bear with one another's idiosyncrasies and foibles. Give us
patience to love one another as Christ loves the church; so we can represent
living sacrifices as a testimony to an unbelieving world.
Thought for the Day:
There is nothing heroic in
winning at the cost of someone else's expense; but in laying down our life and
serving one another with the love of our Father toward us.
