2 Timothy 2:23 - Keep Calm and Don't Argue

“But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.”

2 Timothy 2:23

I don’t know about you, but I dislike getting into foolish and ignorant disputes. I don’t like to dispute with anyone, even those that live within my own home. I don’t like the strife that comes with it. I like peace. I like harmony. I like to have a “oneness in the Lord” with people. We can’t always keep ourselves from opposition though. Opposition happens from time to time. And opposition will continue to happen and will happen more and more as the coming of the Lord gets closer. When this happens, we need to be patient and in humility correct those that are in opposition with us. We need to rightly divide the word of truth. God may grant them a heart of repentance if we obey and do things His way. His Word may penetrate their mind and heart and they may come to know the truth. God loves those that are in opposition with us. He wants them to come to their senses. He wants them to escape any snare of the devil that he has them in. You may see things spiritually and know that they have been taken captive by the enemy to believe and do his will, but more than likely the people in opposition to us don’t see, know, understand or comprehend things spiritually at all. They see things the world’s way and they think they are right and that you are wrong. Your loving kindness, humility, and gentle words and instructions to the truth may help them become aware of the truth and escape the snare of the devil. Maybe not this second in time, but sometime in the future things will come to light. If you aren’t being gentle but are quarreling with them, they won’t be open to what you have to say. They will be turned off to the truth and what you have to say. God’s Word tells us that “a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition” (2 Timothy 2:24). May each of us, be patient and kind. May we correct in love those that are in opposition to us, and may those that are in opposition come to heed the truth and escape the devils plan for them.

Father, Your word tells us that a servant of the Lord must not quarrel. Be with us, Lord, and help us not to quarrel with others, even those that are in our own home. May we be gentle to all! May we teach with an attitude of love. May we be patient. May we be humble and may we humbly correct those that are in opposition to Your truths. We want You to “grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.