Strife is a terrible evil spirit that
makes you miserable. It causes bickering and all sorts of things that offend
people. Strife creates an atmosphere of anger that hangs just below the
surface. Strife is a trap the devil lays to destroy marriages, businesses and
even churches.
The
two big causes of strife the Bible mentions are jealousy and greed. Proverbs
28:25 says, "He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts
his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed."
Now, if you truly trust God, there is no need for you to ever be jealous of anybody. If you believe God loves you and has a plan for your life, and if you believe His timing is always right, there is no need to envy a single person.
People who have a greedy spirit - who are never satisfied with what they have and who always want more - stir up strife for a couple of reasons. You are never permanently satisfied no matter what you have. When people are dissatisfied, they tend to cause trouble. Think about how easy it is to fall into resentment and strife when you do not get what you want.
The two ways to keep strife out of your life are: Who you spend your time with and Guard your heart. What kind of character do your friends have? Think about the people you eat lunch with at work or those you consider your closest friends. Do they gossip? Are their attitudes generally negative or positive? When you are around someone who is negative, you guard your heart because you cannot leave the doors of your heart wide open to people who are greedy, jealous, critical or judgmental. If you are open to that stuff, it is more likely you will pick up these negative spirits.
Now, if you truly trust God, there is no need for you to ever be jealous of anybody. If you believe God loves you and has a plan for your life, and if you believe His timing is always right, there is no need to envy a single person.
People who have a greedy spirit - who are never satisfied with what they have and who always want more - stir up strife for a couple of reasons. You are never permanently satisfied no matter what you have. When people are dissatisfied, they tend to cause trouble. Think about how easy it is to fall into resentment and strife when you do not get what you want.
The two ways to keep strife out of your life are: Who you spend your time with and Guard your heart. What kind of character do your friends have? Think about the people you eat lunch with at work or those you consider your closest friends. Do they gossip? Are their attitudes generally negative or positive? When you are around someone who is negative, you guard your heart because you cannot leave the doors of your heart wide open to people who are greedy, jealous, critical or judgmental. If you are open to that stuff, it is more likely you will pick up these negative spirits.
Keep all the strife out of your life and be a blessing wherever you go.
Written by Linda Diokpa
Follow on twitter @diokpalinda
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