Stirring Up Dissension Among the Brothers

"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers" (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Let’s look at this list again:

· Arrogance is number one. God is concerned about high self-esteem: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…” (Romans 12:3)

· Lying is numbers two and six. “A lying tongue” indicates a habitual liar. “False witness” is perjury.

· The murder of innocent people is number three. It includes abortion.

· Premeditated evil is number four.

· Unpremeditated evil is number five.

· Sowing discord among brothers is number seven.

Although these are all very common today, it is the last I would like to draw your attention to. Stirring up dissension may be unintentional, or it may be the result of gossip. It is the cause of church splits, family fights, and unhappy communities. It is made up of lies, half-truths, and innuendoes and is communicated about people instead of to them.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us. We would love to have you reading with us.

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