Strife means to be in conflict and rivalry with each other.
Synonyms of strife
• Trouble
• Conflict
• Discord
• Contention
• Fighting
• Dissension
• Friction
Antonyms of Strife are:
• Harmony
• Agreement
• Accord
• Concord
• Peace
• Coordination
• Coherence
These are just a few of the words that describe what strife really is. It hurts inside to see young women and some men, put quotes on their sites, in their offices, or on their license plate - on the front of their car that lets you know, they are going down a dark path of more destruction in their lives. Let me give you just a few quotes I have seen over the years:
Beauty begins within! |
▪ Don’t under estimate the power of a hissy fit (Which is a popular quote of women in the southern regions of America)
▪ Be nice to me, I’ve had a bad day! (With some type of weapon being held up)
▪ Back off (with the middle finger held up)
Jeremiah 9:23-25 AMPC
23 Thus says the Lord: Let not the wise and skillful person glory and boast in his wisdom and skill; let not the mighty and powerful person glory and boast in his strength and power; let not the person who is rich [in physical gratification and earthly wealth] glory and boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands and knows Me [personally and practically, directly discerning and recognizing My character], that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.
25 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will punish all who though circumcised [outwardly, in the flesh] are still uncircumcised [in corresponding inward purity]—
If you don’t know what is right to do so you can have happiness within yourself, then you won’t see or understand why the constant turmoil. Some people are oblivious to how they act; whereas, they have lived with this type of disposition and it could have been encouraged in the household consciously and unconsciously.
As the scripture says above in verse 24, that you understand God’s character, “Who practices loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the Earth”.
Life in general is not one-sided; nor will you be in control of every situation or everyone. Trying to be in control is a very selfish act. You want what only pleases you, makes you happy, and to do what you want to do – at the expense of someone else’s misery.
No matter how hard someone tries to change themselves, it will be ineffective, until your desire to want change is sincere, and you surrender all to God. Being in those type of emotions harms your inner being, as well as your outer being; and again, it negatively infects and affects those around you.
Self-retrospect and self-analysis will not come from someone telling you, “You need help”! It “only” comes when you are tired of enough pushback, chaos, and turmoil in your life; or you have witnessed someone who has a healthy self- love for themselves and truly enjoys life, laughter, and success in “every” area of their life. God gives us what we need when we seek Him with all our heart, mind and soul. I want to remind you though, His blessings are not materialistic. It is a peace within that surpasses all understanding and wisdom that money can’t buy!
I don’t want to dance around things anymore so I won’t offend others, it’s time we all stop talking and start listening! Especially if we want to have life everlasting. The World is crumbling right now and the only thing we can all say is, “What is going on”?
I can’t begin to mention what is going on this world. To keep it short, we are doing everything that is against God’s instructions and living lives that are destroying ourselves and others that leads to more destruction – pushing us farther from God instead of towards Him.
When we are at the top of anything, parenting, marriage, supervisor, CEO, teacher, police officer,
etc., your influence trickles down, not up. Let’s start with having a healthy relationship and then being a parent. If the relationship, before marriage was full of strife, it won’t change once the marriage takes place. There has to be Godly morals and values in place, so the union will be lasting and healthy, in addition to bringing a child into this world that is already full of lost souls that can’t find their way.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Sex before marriage is also detrimental to anyone’s emotional and physical health.
All of the sexual diseases in this world transpired from our sinful ways in sexual activity. So when a child is not taught that God made sex Holy and it is for a Husband and Wife to enjoy, there is always going to be strife in that area of life that breeds jealousy, anger, hate, resentment, and more strife. Satan has perverted sex in so many ways, and again, if you don’t know what is righteous in God’s sight, the path that leads to destruction will be even wider and generational.
Hebrews 13:4 AMP
4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
The Bible says a man is cursed for four generations from sin, but blessed for a thousand generations in righteousness and obedience to God’s commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:8-10 AMP
8 ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol [as an object to worship], or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine], visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers on the children [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers], to the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing graciousness and lovingkindness to thousands [of generations] of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
It also says,
Proverbs 10:22 AMP
22 The blessing of the Lord brings [true] riches,
And He adds no sorrow to it [for it comes as a blessing from God].
What God blesses no one can destroy! He keeps His promises and will bring them to fruition!
Everyday is a good day when you wake up with God!