Fighting 12/12/12

Fighting,

by Greg Valentine
12/12/12

Once upon a time there was a time, when, yes, I used to get into arguments with people. I would try to set them straight and put them into their proper perspective.

Honestly, I don't do this so much any more. (Well, I do it much less)

I read a book called "How to win friends and Influence people" by Dale Carnegie.

On my Facebook page, I just put up my stuff and I just leave it there.
My friends know its pointless to argue with me, by now, on the matter in question because I'll just say it and let them decide what they want.
 
When I was younger, I believed I was responsible for a person's ultimate decision in life. I read in the bible from Ezekiel 3:18 concerning the the watchman. His job was to warn people about trouble coming down the pike. It says that if you( the watchman) see trouble coming before anyone else, you are to warn them and to help them prepare for it, and to keep them safe. The flip side was if a person does not know you did not warn them so they cannot act upon it. If they don't know and you do, and don't tell them, then you are responsible and could be held liable for not telling them before God and before man. They do need to know.

I was under the persuasion that people just didn't know and that they needed instruction to fix whatever problem they are facing. Spiritual life, physical life, and emotional life is a result of decisions and choices.

I have come to conclude that many problems people face are because of their own choosing. Still we tell them.
I have come to see that there are decisions and habits that people do, on purpose, to destroy themselves. You can warn them. You really should, but the bottom line is that people will do what they really want to do.

This is the deal.

Then there's the fight.

2 Corinthians 10:5

When a person fights, they fight with feelings and emotions. They fight to get their point across. They fight to share their mind and hopefully, someone out there gets it. They fight to be heard.

We were watching this interview thing on the Westboro Baptist family, they go by the name "America's most hated family"- we watched it on Youtube the other night and they were fighting and being so belligerent and being so obnoxious and so poisonous in their approach to reaching people. Some people got injured and the family itself was afflicted for a message of hate. I could not see how they would win anyone, eventually I just closed my ears to them. I could never see the point in what they were saying in regards to "rejoicing in all of God's judgments". I searched the scriptures and never found that specific verse, they kept quoting. What I did see was,however, was that God made a way for people to find relief, to find hope, and forgiveness from sins committed against God and his way was thorough his Son Jesus. I see in the bible that we are all to flee from the wrath of God to come against every and all sin, and that the sheer goodness of God leads men(and women) to repentance. Repentance means a change of heart towards God. And saying that God indeed was right I am a sinner who needs a saviour, that my sins are evil in his sight and he loved me enough to send heavens best to take my sins. A message of love and sacrifice. That is worth fighting for. This is the Good news that Jesus died and rose again from the grave to pay for everybody's sins, but only if you choose to accept his way will you find God's forgiveness. In faith alone in Jesus finished work.
Yes, and in this case I will warn.
Flee from the wrath to come.

Not so good fighting, includes hurting, includes being vicious, includes wounding people. Fighting is returning evil for evil and devouring one another for the sake of feeling good. I hate fighting and I hate having to make up after all the fighting, energy spent, and new lessons learned that I've just lost my cool on something immensely stupid.

 Why can't we just get along?