When was the last time that someone said something to you that rubbed you the wrong way, and you just let it go? It seems to be against our nature to overlook wrongs done to us. We can look around and see all the discontent and rioting going on and know for certain that people just do not have a forgiving attitude. And yet, forgiveness is a condition of salvation, did you know that?


When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, He said in Matthew 6:9-15,
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

I’d be willing to bet not many of you consider that YOUR salvation depends on you forgiving OTHERS of their sins against you.

And yet we seem to be so quick to let stuff get under our skins. Jesus told the crowd He was ministering to that nothing going into our mouth defiles us, but what comes OUT of our mouth defiles us. And of course, it is written in Luke 6:41-45,
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

It’s pretty plain to see all the strife and dissention when you get on Facebook. I think if you put all these people out on a street and give them each a baseball bat, they would pretty quickly kill each other, and it all starts with “he said, she said”, and hearts without God that are full of anger and strife. It used to be, people could disagree and still be friendly, but evil is increasing in the world every day, and now these days, disagreements bring murder and rioting.

It is written in Proverbs 17:14,
14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

What does that verse speak to you? It tells me, we should just “let it go” and not become offended.

Offense becomes bitterness, and that becomes hatred, and that becomes murder. So what’s the solution? Seek peace, don’t think you always have to be right. Truth be known, there’s not a single one of us that is right or good, no, not even one. Only God is good, and the rest of us, including me, are a mess, plain and simple. If not for the gift of God, we could not possibly be saved, or filled with His Holy Spirit.

When faced with a choice, we can choose to escalate disagreements, or let it slide. Like I said earlier, it is not our human nature to “let it slide”. But if we want to avoid more and more strife and destruction, we’d all better learn to grow up and find a way to get along. There is a VAST majority of mankind that is lost and unsaved, and if we keep stirring the pot, how do we ever hope to get anyone to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I guarantee, you’re not going to argue anyone into the Kingdom of God. Patience and kindness are not a sign of weakness, but rather, great strength. It’s easy to fly off the handle and throw a hissy fit, just look around. It takes real strength of character to be a peacemaker.

It is written in 1Peter 3:8-12,
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

Don’t add to the strife and suffering of the world. Bring your peace and the Word of God into stressful situations, and watch God work to bring calm. Things are going to get real ugly as time passes for the rest of the world, but YOUR world can be calm and peaceful if you will just yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and let God use you as you seek peace. Just as anger and strife are contagious, PEACE is also contagious. Catch yourself a big case of peace and spread it around to everyone you meet! You will enjoy life a whole bunch more!