Strife: BEWARE

I am officially a Joyce Meyer fan after getting the opportunity to go to one of her conferences this weekend. WOW - she speaks pretty practically, yet almost everything she says is truthful and deep. I wrote down a lot of 1-liners and wanted to just put them here so that I won't forget them one day. And the message being on "Strife"? Pure destiny. I needed to hear it. Thank You Lord.

STRIFE 

The opposite of peace, perhaps you could say, is strife. It is dangerous and should be treated like poison. Strife is the unpeace in relationships, the bitterness, the angry undercurrents, and the thing that causes us to afford criticism to others. It is neither anointed nor does it allow for the Word to work. Strife can originate from a multitude of things, but perhaps most prevalent is pride. Humble yourself. Do not open the door for the devil or go to bed mad, for it is literally dangerous (Ephesians 4:25-27).

1) There is power in agreement.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

Matthew 18:19-20

Agreement can only be maintained with grace and forgiveness.

2) Live in a peaceful place.

If you don't dwell in a place of peace, it's going to affect the work you have to do (Matthew 10:11-14).

3) Prayer is not effective while in the midst of strife.

"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing."

1 Timothy 2:8

4) To not seek peace...is evil.

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must SEEK peace and PURSUE it."

1 Peter 3:10-11

5) How can we receive correction without condemnation?

• God only corrects those He loves (Revelation 3:19-20)
• We should be grateful for the correction of Christ
• "If God is correcting me in this (His child who is of no business to the devil), then I am going to take it joyfully, grow and keep on going."
• When God shows you something wrong with you - AGREE with Him! Ask HIM to change you, to not leave your side until you can do it. 

6) Do not be OFFENDED.

• Offense derives from the Hebrew word that describes the part of a trap that the bait hangs on to tempt the animal into the trap.
• Satan wants us to be offended...and where we are offended, love cannot flow.
• Faith and prayer do not work without love.

7) It's okay to admit that you are a wretch.

"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Paul in Romans 7:24-25

8) Peace starts with you and God.

• You have to have peace with God.
• You have to have peace with yourself.
• THEN you can have peace with people.

If you can't get along with yourself, you can't get along with others.

9) People are created for freedom. 

So say to them out loud and in your heart, "I love you the way you are and I commit to not trying to change you. Pride is the problem in this area. My interests are not more important than the interests of others. What I have to say is not more important than what another has to say." (Romans 12:3)

When it comes to loving and treating others well, we don't start by controlling our behavior, we start by controlling our thoughts.

10) Nine things that will help you have peace in your relationships:

• Be courteous and respectful of others opinions even if you don't agree with them.
• Listen with an open mind. Consider that they might be right.
• Don't be touchy and sensitive.
• Be willing to pray about what people say.
• Keep looking for a place to agree instead of looking for things to grumble about.
• Look for good things in people.
• Be very careful with body language and the tone with which you say things.
• Pray and pick your timing. Ask God to anoint it.
• Don't put your friends & loved ones under pressure making them feel like they need to prove their love to you everyday. BELIEVE they love you.
• QUIT being selfish.

 11) My own personal notes to remember:

• When offended by someone who has hurt you, instead of asking, "Lord, how can I get rid of this pain?" ask, "How can I address this pain?" Don't be afraid to address it with the Lord. He IS your healer.
• Pray for a shield of faith that you would never be personally offended by someone. And that also, if it exists, with the protection of the shield, you can actually begin to see the deep pain within the person who has offended (Ephesians 6:16).
• Remember that God affords us strength and that even in our weakness, He is strong.
• Battle the hopelessness of strife with thankfulness.

Remember this about yourself and remember it in regards to others.