“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must bekind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gentlyinstructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to aknowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape fromthe trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will” (2 Tim.2:24-26).

Look back at verse 22: “Flee the evil desires of youth andpursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on theLord out of a pure heart.”

Verse 23: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupidarguments, because you know they produce quarrels.”

I used to love to argue. That didn’t last long. I found fromthis verse that I wasn’t supposed to. Another reason it ended was I discoveredthat I could win an argument, but I would not win the person I was arguingwith. The servant of the Lord must not quarrel (v. 24, NKJV).

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships