Day 32 – 90 Days in Proverbs - Overwhelming Discord
Proverbs 6:19b [ESV] … one who sows discord among brothers.
The adage “You reap what you sow” is never truer than when you sow discord among those close to you – your family, your office mates, or your church brethren. Sowing discord results in discord (a.k.a. strife, conflict), unless someone stops it in its path. It takes a special person to do that – someone willing to make the first move or apology – often someone will to refrain from giving back or passing forward the hurt they have received.
Where does this desire to sew discord come from? How can we stop discord from growing? Proverbs 10:12 [NIV] answers both questions: 12 Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.
Discord, strife and conflict come from hate. You might not think, “I hate that person” but it is the underlying emotion, whether it bubbles up as jealousy or resentment or anger.
Love “covers” it the way paper covers rock in a rock-paper-scissors game or the way a wet blanket can smother a smoldering fire.. One of the definitions of the Hebrew word that is translated “covers” is “overwhelm.” Love overwhelms hatred and conflict.
Why do we have people who sow discord in our churches? Jesus explains it in the parable He gives in Matthew 13. Matthew 13:24-25 [KJV] 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
Satan sows into the body of Christ those who in turn sow discord among us and God allows it. Matthew 13 indicates that God continues to allow them to be among His people until the harvest. So, it doesn’t sound like we will get rid of those sowers of discord within the body of Christ until Jesus returns.
However, what we can do is overwhelm them with love. It takes a special person to stop the seed of discord from reaping its natural fruit. God called us to be that kind of person – one who sows so much love that discord is overwhelmed by it.
It means putting away pride and the sense that I deserve better. It means putting away a sense of “an eye for an eye” and the idea that I must pay back those who sin against me.
To overwhelm discord with love, we must be like Jesus who died for sinners – for you and me – when we were still out there sowing discord in our own ways – when we still might sow discord, although we don’t mean to.
Love smothers discord. Discord cannot survive under its pressure.
As long as the church is made up of humans, Satan will be able to sow among us those who will in turn seek to sow discord within the church. Sisters, we are called to overwhelm them with love.
Perhaps God leaves the sowers of discord within the church because that is the best place for us to practice smothering discord with love. Maybe He wants us to learn and practice there, among His people, where our efforts may be more effective. Maybe once we learn how to overwhelm discord with love among our church family, we can then practice the same reaction to sowers of discord in our homes and workplace – who knows, maybe in the nation. Okay, I’m dreaming there.
When Jesus returns for the harvest, the sewers of discord among God’ people will be removed. Until then, sweet sisters, it is our job to overwhelm discord with love.
Prayer — Father God, You have given us the gift of church, of brothers and sisters in Christ who are called to forgiveness and to do good works. Thank you for calling me away from the works of Satan, away from the sowing of discord, and into the work of planting love at every opportunity. I ask that you help me to do the good work of sowing love among my fellow believers, my family and the world. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your thoughts —
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