Crosswalk.com

Wise People Avoid Arguments - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - December 5, 2018

Wise People Avoid Arguments
By Rick Warren

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV).

Have you ever met someone who is always arguing and looking for a fight? I heard about one guy who was so argumentative he would only eat food that disagreed with him.

Wise people work at maintaining harmony. James 3:17 says that true wisdom is peace-loving.If you’re wise, you don’t antagonize people’s anger. The Bible also says in Proverbs 20:3“Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them” (GNT).

You can only avoid arguments when you know what leads to them in the first place. Here are three causes of arguments:

1. Comparing.Do you ever use phrases like, “You’re just like . . .” or “Why can’t you be like . . .” or “When I was your age . . .”? You’re only asking for a fight when you do.

2. Condemning.This is where you lay on the guilt: “It’s all your fault,” “You should be ashamed,” “You always” or “You never,” “You ought to . . .” or “You shouldn’t . . .” are all unhelpful phrases. Someone said, “You can bury a marriage with a lot of little digs.” The same can be said for any other relationship.

3. Contradicting.William James once said, “The secret of wisdom is knowing what to overlook.” You have to learn to let it go! Some things are just not worth the fight.

If you want to be wise in your relationships, don’t antagonize others’ anger. “A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes” (Proverbs 14:29 TLB).

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!


Verses for Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box

You have to know God’s Word if you want to hear his voice and transform your life.

That’s why we want to send you the Verses for Hearing the Voice of God Scripture Box to help make memorizing God’s Word a real joy for you.

This brand new Scripture Box is constructed with a soft black leather-like material and it comes with a freshly created set of 52 full-color, beautifully designed Bible verse cards based on Pastor Rick’s teaching series, Hearing the Voice of God.

When you understand how to hear God’s voice you’ll be better able to . . .

• Make wise decisions
• Discover and fulfill God’s great plan for your life
• Experience the peace of God’s presence
• Resist temptation
• Be strong under stress
• Find comfort when you’re sad
• Be a bolder witness to unbelievers

Supplies are limited, so act now! Request yours when you give below.

Thank you for your generosity!

*Box is approximately 4.75” x 4.75” x 4.25”

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.