30 Days to Taming Your Tongue - What you say (and don't say) will improve your relationships by Deborah Smith Pegues
Day Six - The Argumentative Tongue
Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling - Proverbs 20:3
Unlike divisive people, whose actions destroy unity between parties, argumentative people enjoy directly resisting anyone whose viewpoint is different from theirs. Being argumentative is a futile use of the tongue and certainly not the way to win friends or influence people. Why people become quarrelers:
Many quarrelers grew up on homes where arguing was as much a pattern as eating. Thus, they think it is normal.
Some people resort to quarreling to bolster their own self-worth. They can only feel good about themselves by attacking the validity of other people's opinions, philosophies, or beliefs and then maneuvering them into defending their position. The quarreler's goal is not to add value to someone's life by showing him the error of his way.
Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out - Proverbs 17-14 Keep out of the web of contention that quarrelers are expert at weaving. It takes two to tangle. Agree with your adversary quickly - Matthew 5:25
One of the challenges for God's children is to learn to disagree without being disagreeable. We glorify God when we remain loving even when we disagree with the views and values of unbelievers. W must be careful how we disagree lest we compromise our testimony. Surely we have the grace to register our protests without being mean-spirited.
If you have a tendency to be contentious or argumentative, remember that it costs you absolutely nothing to respect someone's opinion -- especially on matters that have no eternal consequences.
Today's Affirmation:
I will resist becoming contentious by respecting everyone's right to have his own values and views.
Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling - Proverbs 20:3
Unlike divisive people, whose actions destroy unity between parties, argumentative people enjoy directly resisting anyone whose viewpoint is different from theirs. Being argumentative is a futile use of the tongue and certainly not the way to win friends or influence people. Many quarrelers grew up on homes where arguing was as much a pattern as eating. Thus, they think it is normal.
Some people resort to quarreling to bolster their own self-worth. They can only feel good about themselves by attacking the validity of other people's opinions, philosophies, or beliefs and then maneuvering them into defending their position. The quarreler's goal is not to add value to someone's life by showing him the error of his way.
Beginning a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out - Proverbs 17-14 Keep out of the web of contention that quarrelers are expert at weaving. It takes two to tangle. Agree with your adversary quickly - Matthew 5:25
One of the challenges for God's children is to learn to disagree without being disagreeable. We glorify God when we remain loving even when we disagree with the views and values of unbelievers. W must be careful how we disagree lest we compromise our testimony. Surely we have the grace to register our protests without being mean-spirited.
If you have a tendency to be contentious or argumentative, remember that it costs you absolutely nothing to respect someone's opinion -- especially on matters that have no eternal consequences.
Today's Affirmation:
I will resist becoming contentious by respecting everyone's right to have his own values and views.
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