Good Morning!
“Do everything without complaining or arguing,” is a message written by Paul to the church in Philippi (Phil. 2:14). When my mother-in-law was still living she had a banner with this verse on it hanging in her garage where she would see it every time she got in or out of the car. Her husband often remarked, “I think it’s helping her.”
When I turned 22 I had already pastored a small church for over two years. I loved my tiny elderly congregation, but I didn’t love their frequent bickering. One Sunday I was leading a Sunday School class where the lesson focused on arguing. I really tried to avoid the subject, but sure enough, in the middle of the class an argument broke out. I must have been shaking my head as I called time out and announced, “We are arguing!” The initial response was to argue with me that this wasn’t really arguing.
In recent Bible reading I’ve stumbled across the phrase “selfish ambition” several times. What the New International Version of the Bible translates as “selfish ambition” the King James Version translated as “strife.” (Phil. 2:3, and James 3:14.) I’m beginning to conclude that if I find myself frequently being argumentative it may point to selfish ambition, a self-centered lack of humility on my part, something that scripture warns me to avoid.
I’m sure your business meetings seldom include strife, but if it ever shows up it may be evidence that someone values being right over having a right attitude. Let me know if you need to borrow my mother-in law’s banner.
-Doug Shoemaker
