The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with. — Proverbs 17:14
November 22, 1963, is a day you may not remember for the date, but you certainly remember it for the event. While there is certainly a generation alive now that did not live through the event, most have heard the story about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy was in Dallas on his way to deliver remarks aimed at building support for policy initiatives and heard of the 1964 election. But as he traveled through the city, he was assassinated and never made it to deliver those remarks. While you often hear the rest of the story discussed, many often overlook the comments he was set to deliver.
Near the end of the speech were these words, “Let us not be petty when our cause is so great.” The comments continued and included, “Let us stand together with renewed confidence in our cause.” Kennedy was talking about his policy agenda, but those words are certainly challenging!
There are many times we let something little or petty get in our way. The idea behind this verse in Proverbs is that just a small crack starts to let the water out, but soon, it will rush out with fury. That’s how our lives are as Christians when we let things come between us. It can be something so petty and small, but it can disrupt so many things as it continues.
Rather than searching for contention, our focus should be to let it go. Put it aside, knowing that the cause we have is far greater than the petty things we often argue over. It doesn’t mean that what was said or done was right. It simply means that we recognize that we have a higher expectation and calling in our lives.
Do you ever let disagreements disrupt your life? Instead of holding on to those things, we should let them go. We should focus on the cause and will of God, not the contention.
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