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Strife

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 9, 1905

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 82, No. 45.

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Strife

By L. A. S.

THIS world is full of strife. Strife is characteristic of the world. It is one of the fruits of the flesh, a natural exhibition of the carnal mind. “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it can not rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Isa. 57:20, 21. The world is not growing better in this respect. The spirit of the times is not one of peace, but of haste, impatience, of grasping after wealth at the sacrifice of integrity and human rights. All this genders strife, which is especially marked to-day in the industrial world. There are peace congresses, and men talk hopefully of a coming era of universal peace between the nations; but while there may be international peace, based upon the cost and general inexpediency of war, there are no signs of a coming era of peace based upon brotherly love, short of the coming of the Prince of Peace to set up his universal kingdom in the place of the kingdoms of men.
Strife being characteristic of the world, it is evident that the absence of strife should be characteristic of the church of Christ, of those who are not of this world. In the place of the spirit of strife, which is a great evil to its possessor, the Christian has the blessing of peace, peace which comes from God himself, and which nothing can disturb. Without this peace there can be no true or lasting happiness. It is a prize earnestly to be sought and carefully treasured. But it requires constant effort on the part of the Christian, in this time especially when intensity is taking possession of every evil agency of the world, not to be drawn into the current and partake of the spirit of impatience and strife with which he is constantly brought in touch.
It is very easy to present the message of divine truth for this time in a controversial way, which is itself provocative of strife. It seems the natural way to present a truth which contravenes the doctrines and practises of men in many important points. Yet here of all places it is essential to have a heart ruled by peace. The truth has little to gain from strife and contention. Men are not converted by controversy. An important admonition, which is too often lost sight of, is given in 2 Tim. 2:24-26: But “the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Much has been lost to the cause of Christ in the past by failure to heed this admonition. The power of the truth is not so much in its logic, as in its beauty. The mind may be convinced by argument, but the heart is won by seeing that which is greatly to be desired. Multitudes acknowledge the truth, but few obey it; but this order of things will be changed when the beauty of the Lord is seen upon those who proclaim his truth, and in the words which they speak. Let us study to present the truth in the full beauty with which its Author has invested it.
L. A. S.