March 6-Proverbs 6:16-19

First of all I want everyone to wish my husband Bill "Happy Birthday!"

The passage I have chosen today is from Proverbs 6:16-19
"These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look, (arrogant, haughty look)
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethen."

We have heard the first six things talked about alot and they are pretty self explanatory. Today I want to talk about the seventh thing. Vs. 19b "And one who sows discord among the brethen"
First, let's look at the word "discord". I looked this word up in the dictionary and here is what I found. Discord: Lack of concord or agreement; disagreement;dissension; conflict. SYN: strife, conflict,contention,dissension,variance mean action or state manifesting lack of harmony (unity). Discord also implies quarreling, factiousness, antagonism or the like.
Let's look at the word "strife": implies a struggle for superiority rather than incompatibility to the person or things involved.
Let's look at the word "contention": chiefly applies to strife that manifests itself in quarelling, disputing, controversy.

So know we have a pretty good idea of what "discord" means. Let's look at what the scriptures say about discord (strife & contention). Galatians 5:19-21 talks about the works of the flesh, vs.20 mentions "hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies." These are the works of the flesh, not the Spirit of God. Proverbs 15:18 (I like how it is worded in the AMP.) "A hot -tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger appeases contention." Are you hot tempered or slow to anger?
The Word of God warns us to stay away from people who stirs up strife,contentions and divisions. Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethen, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, ( the doctrine we have learned is to love our brethen and to be a peacemaker) and avoid them." It says, AVOID THEM. 1 Timothy 6:4-5 talks of one who is proud, obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which comes envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions. Vs. 5b says, "From such withdraw yourself."
Bottom line: If you are one who likes to argue and cause strife and contentions, and you tend to cause alot of division then you need to repent and ask the Lord to change your heart and He will! This kind of behavior is not of God and it hurts people. We are to have love for our brethen and live peaceable with them, we need to live in unity and not in discord. That is what pleases the Lord! Besides, how does that look to the unsaved when christians are starting mess with each other and quarreling and causing strife. They will say to themselves, "I don't want any part of this, I can stay in the world and have this."
If you are one who is continually around people that cause strife and they are not willing to allow the Lord to change them, then you need to withdraw yourself from them, if this is possible. Hanging around people like this can harm you and can rub off on you. It can hinder your walk with the Lord. Don't let anything or anyone hinder your walk with the Lord!
Beloved, let us walk in love towards one another and towards the unsaved, so they can see Jesus in us. John 13:34-35 Let us walk in unity with the brethen! Eph. 4:1-3 Psalm 133