Craig Clouston

 

Avoiding Strife

March 5

It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Proverbs 20:3

The plant supervisor assured Rob it would be okay if he took a few days off following his infant son’s emergency heart surgery. He told Rob to come to his office and sign the Family Medical Leave Act forms when he returned. Grateful, Rob hung up and headed back to his son’s hospital room.

Ten days later, Rob called to update his employer. They would be able to bring his son home in the morning, and he would return to work in two days.

He was stunned when his supervisor said, “Rob, two employees complained that Union procedure wasn’t followed when we allowed you time off without signing papers first. The day of surgery wasn’t an issue. But they filed a grievance against us for allowing you anything past that. I’m very sorry, Rob, but as of now, your employment has been terminated. You’re welcome to reapply, but you’ll lose your seniority, and you will have to start at entry level pay again. Goodbye.” The click on the other end of the line left him speechless.

Taken aback, Rob and his wife prayed for direction. They decided Rob should reapply, leaving the outcome to God. A week later, Rob had his job back. His levelheaded approach won favor with the front office. They admitted their negligence in handling such a delicate matter, and, working with the union, they restored everything except his seniority. Rob and Deb could live with that.

†

In Deuteronomy 32:35 God says, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay.” God knows that revenge is never sweet...and we should never seek it. Revenge pollutes the soul and creates spiritual turmoil.

There are few times when God expects us to stand and fight. Mostly, there are times He wants us to ask, in faith, for Him to resolve the issues we are facing, and leave the results up to Him.

The key is knowing when to do which. That knowledge comes through our having a close, unbroken relationship with God, and keying in on Him in times of trouble.

When wronged, we are to avoid strife by seeking God, not vengeance.

Prayer

“Thank You for being with us in the trying times of life, LORD. Thank You for Your peace that helps us sort through what’s important in avoiding unnecessary strife. Amen.”