“It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.”
This is a common and obviously important theme for Solomon. He saw literally no value in fighting. I’m not talking about war with the enemies of the Israelites, which was a pretty common activity for that beleaguered nation. In the approximately 3,000 years since he wrote this verse, there have been very few years of peace for God’s most favored nation—His people. Individuals who seem to enjoy picking fights are fools. Not only are we told to avoid strife with others, but we are also encouraged to view it as the honorable thing to do. I have always admired those who pursue peace wherever they are. Even when they are not part of the underlying tensions, they have a way of bringing calm and peace to the situation. In this verse, Solomon speaks directly about the person who knows how to avoid strife. They can hold their tongue when it would be easy to lash out or inject their opinion. They are most likely not on social media, or if they are, they only share uplifting thoughts and words of faith and encouragement—maybe a few pictures of their grandkids, too. The idea is that they avoid meaningless altercations. There is a time for righteous anger—Jesus modeled that. But if you engage in it, you had better be sure the Holy Spirit is behind it. Today, be at peace with everyone, or get away from them. #BeTheEdge
“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalms 34:14 NIV
