Sometimes it is the simplest things that can cause a major division. One example I remember from Joyce Meyer's book, Life Without Strife, helps me understand other people's perspective so much.
Joyce tells of a woman whose feelings were hurt because her pastor ignored her at the mall. Just walked right by without even saying hello. (I can almost hear the conversation in my own life!) Then when she remarked about it to the pastor, he realized that was the day he was so sick and felt so poorly he didn't even see anyone at the mall.
The woman had hurt feelings.
The pastor was sick.
Clearly a situation of misunderstanding that brought strife into that woman's life. She didn't see the pastor, she saw hurt feelings.
Verses to reflect on today:
Lord, open my eyes to hear your word and my heart to understand. Help me to recognize strife when it occurs and to strive instead to see you in every situation.
Pride, selfish ambition and misunderstanding can cause strife.
The greedy man stirs up disputes, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. Prov 28:25
They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be righteous who were to trap him in speech, in order to hand him over to the authority and power of the governor. They posed this question to him, "Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?"Recognizing their craftiness he said to them, "Show me a denarius; 6 whose image and name does it bear?" They replied, "Caesar's." So he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." They were unable to trap him by something he might say before the people, and so amazed were they at his reply that they fell silent. Luke 22:20-27
At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. Acts 6:1
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