Fighting and Fussing

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Fighting and Fussing

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

“You are still worldly.  For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? 

Are you not acting like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3 NIV)

[The first thing () we learn /when we begin to trust in God] is that we don’t have to fight with anyone, because God is going to take care of us.   Besides, quarreling grieves God, because God is called the God of peace; so if we walk with God, we’re to walk in peace.  But in this fast-paced society, when people are more impatient than ever, there’s a lot more fussing /going on, even among Christians.  Then we wonder why we’re not enjoying the blessing of the God of peace on our lives.

The Bible has a lot to say /about the blessing of walking in peace.  Christians are not supposed to be fighting, but we make allowances for it //that perhaps we don’t make /for other problems in the church.  If, for example, someone were coming to church and getting involved and taking communion, but we knew () the person was selling drugs or getting drunk /once or twice a week, it would no doubt disturb us. 

We would think that this is not a lifestyle /for a believer, and that it’s not pleasing to the Lord, right?   Well, how about what the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians?  He said that they were carnal and acting like babies and like people in the natural, not like Christians. 

Why?  Because they were quarreling!  We’re dragging the gospel of Jesus Christ /through the mud /when we fight just as the world does.  Some people even quote Scripture /as they fight with other Christians.  They want to use the Word of God to fight over doctrine, how you baptize, how you take communion, what you think about the mark of the beast, what Bible version you use…   They’re just ready for a fight, but Proverbs 17:19 actually says that [whoever loves to quarrel] loves sin. 

Do you think () it’s being judgmental to say that?  It’s the Bible saying it!

Actually, the older we get, when we look back on our lives, chances are () many of us wish () we could undo all of the fighting we did with others.  What were we quarreling about?  We probably don’t even remember.  Do you know that when people are close to death and they know () they’re soon going to meet the Lord, they don’t want to quarrel with anybody?  No, on the contrary, they want to forgive and make it right.  But we don’t have to wait /until we get to that point.  We don’t have to argue and fuss with others /when we’re trusting God and walking by faith.  We don’t have to elbow everyone to push ourselves ahead; we don’t have to fight with the boss, or with anybody else, for that matter. 

* for that matter used to say that what you are saying about one thing is also true about something else.

Let people do [what they’re going to do].  God will take care of us and fight our battles!  Do you think () he gave his Son for you, and that he knows the number of hairs /on your head, but will now leave you to struggle and jockey for position on the job, fighting anyone //who gets in your way or in the way of your loved ones?  No, he has called us to peace;

and he is the one //who will make it possible for us to live a life of peace /as we surrender to him every day of our lives.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.