"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like precious ointment upon the head....' Psalm 133:1-2
As I lay down for a short afternoon rest for my weary pregnant body I could hear sounds of a scuffle in the hallway. My five and seven year old boys were going at it again. It seemed that the slightest provocation ended in blows with these two lately. I prayed for patience for myself and wisdom in how to reach the hearts of these little brawlers.
Many of us struggle with fighting children at times, and unfortunately we sometimes join in the fighting ourselves, with spouses, other Christians and extended family. Where do these wars come from? James says in Chapter 4 that wars and fightings come from lusts, or in modern English, desires that fight in ourselves. I can certainly see that in my own children. One is whistling so the other one gets angry and asks him to stop, a clear case of both fighting for their own rights. James solution is this, "God resisteth the proud but gives grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:6-7) Clearly my children are not humble when they are fighting for their rights, and when we as adults impute the most evil intentions onto the actions of our brothers, while believing that all our own actions are right and good, we are acting the same way as selfish little children.
James 3:17 says, "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." As we meditate on what the wisdom from above is, and teach it to our children, we are sowing peace and we will reap it in our homes and in our churches.
Jennifer Pepito-TOS Chapel Editor
