Time To Grow Up (The Path Of Reconciliation)

1 Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Recently I settled some discord between me and a brother in Christ. Who or what it was is not important. The fact is that it was my brother, he reached out to me and there was need for reconciliation. My brother Kenneth said something interesting when I mentioned that fact to him yesterday. He talked about how the devil is not after your dream and vision but he's after the Word of God in your heart. He continued that without the Word and prayer you can't accomplish your dream or vision anyway.
When we insist on handling things our way and not doing things according to Word of God we fall into the trap. When we facilitate strife we are becoming an enabler to the enemy. A disagreement gets worse when somebody who has no business in it makes it worse by exposing it to more people who have no authority or ability to solve the problem. When you mention something to someone and the subject of what you said is not present it's talebearing and that is one of the causes of strife.

Proverbs 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. 23 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. 24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; 25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. 26 Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. 27 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. 28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

We need to either stop spreading strife with our mouth or stop listening to those spreading strife. Strife aka "beef" is one of the very things God hates and resists and there's a good reason for it.

James 3: 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

The thing we need to do is to seek peace. Let it go. Forgive and move on. We are ministers of reconciliation. Let's reconcile as the body of Christ so we can reconcile this world to him.

-Shamik