Modeling Christ

Titus 3: 2

… malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

Malign no one – that means that we are not to say anything bad about anyone at anytime. That is a big bill to fill but that is what God wants us to aspire to. What about being contentious? A contentious person is one who tends to argue, tends to find himself in arguments, debates and disagreements. Merriam-Webster defines a contentious person as one likely to cause an argument even sometimes “exhibiting an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes.” We all know or have known someone like that. Every time you talk with them they have another story about a conflict they have been involved in. God does not want us to live in conflict. He certainly does not want us to bring conflict into other people’s lives. As it says above Father God wants us to be gentle in our dealings with one another and to be considerate of every person with whom we come in contact. You cannot be contentious and kind. A contentious person will have a two-fold problem. First, people are not likely to enjoy being around them and secondly, one cannot fulfill the ambition of the Lord for one’s life while being quarrelsome. Let us endeavor, therefore, to live in peace. Let peace guide you.