This chapter has a few different themes of laziness, foolishness, quarreling, and evil.
“Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” (v17, 20-22)
Let’s say we see a Pitbull having a stare-down growling contest with a Rottweiler. Are we going to walk up, grab the dogs by the ears, and give them a shake? Of course not, that would be incredibly dangerous. So, why would we get involved in a heated argument where our input is not invited or welcomed? We probably shouldn’t, unless we want to become a target of that anger.
Let’s say we’re in a coffee shop with two friends. One starts trash-talking a fourth person who isn’t present, and the other friend starts adding gossips / insults to the pile. Is it helpful (or loving our neighbor) for us to add more fuel to this roasting of the fourth person? Absolutely not. In reality, these same two ‘friends’ might even trash-talk us for what we say…
I realize it’s tempting to add our opinions and feel ‘included’, or ‘helpful’ in these types of situations, though scripture warns us that if we’re not careful, we can make situations drastically worse by engaging. Needing to feel heard or helpful may actually come from a hidden place of pride in our hearts, and may not be authentically driven by loving our neighbor. We must be careful of our true motivations.
Jesus defused multiple tense situations by choosing words, actions and responses that aligned with God’s leading. I strongly caution us to pray for wisdom, words and guidance from the Spirit before engaging with tricky scenarios like these. Even with the best of intentions we can accidentally throw gasoline on a fire, if we’re not led by God’s powerful presence.
Father God, our Wise and Discerning Lord, we come before You a lost and foolish people. We humbly ask for Your Spirit’s guidance in our lives as we seek to engage those around us in discerning and powerful ways. May we glorify You, and love our neighbors in these interactions. Though our wisest course of action may sometimes be silence, we trust in Your guidance and words for each specific circumstance. To You be all honor, glory and praise, from this day forward, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training