Why do some conflicts seem to spiral out of control while others end in peace?
Most of us assume the problem is the other person. If only they would listen… admit they’re wrong… or stop being so difficult. But what if God is trying to teach us something through conflict that has very little to do with winning the argument?
Today’s Proverbs says something surprising: it is honorable to stop striving because any fool can start a quarrel.
That raises an important question.
What if the strongest person in the room isn’t the one who gets the last word—but the one who knows when to let it go?
We’ll also look at David’s preparations for worship and discover why our attitude toward singing on Sunday mornings may reveal more about our hearts than we realize.
Have you ever watched someone make a terrible decision and thought:
“What were they thinking?”
Maybe it was a friend. A family member. A politician. A pastor. Or perhaps, if we’re honest, it was ourselves.
What’s surprising is that foolish decisions aren’t limited to foolish people. In fact, some of the worst decisions in history were made by people who knew better.
Which raises an uncomfortable question:
If wisdom alone were enough, why did Solomon fall?
God gave him extraordinary wisdom. People traveled from around the world to hear him speak. Yet despite all he knew, Solomon eventually ignored God’s clear instructions and suffered the consequences.
How does that happen?
And why do we often listen to bad advice, follow our feelings, or believe what we want to believe—even when God’s Word says otherwise?
Today’s readings reveal a dangerous trap that catches far more people than we realize.
Today is April Fool’s Day, a day to have fun and play practical jokes. I’ve carried out a few and been the recipient of even more … all in fun. But being a true fool is no laughing matter. Biblically, a fool is a man who fails to heed God’s warnings or refuses to live according to God’s wise principles.
Ironically, some who don’t know the Lord believe the opposite. They call us foolish for forgiving those who have hurt us, keeping God’s moral laws, and refusing to lie, cheat, or steal. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be called a fool for God than foolishly live in ways that will be displeasing to God and bring about His discipline.
Worry, distress, anxiety, and depression are all on the rise. Yet, some people seem to have peace even in our troubled world. What’s the difference? And is it possible to have that peace?
Also, I can’t imagine anything worse than believing you are right with God and when you stand before Him, hear those words, “I never knew you.” Yet, in the “Parable of the Wheat and the Tares” and in the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus acknowledged that there are many sitting in churches who don’t belong to Him and will hear Him say, “I never knew you.”
Could you be guilty of parental legalism? What do I mean by that? Parental legalism often focuses on behavior as opposed to the heart. These legalists make Christianity all about “the law,” often their own law or house rules. When they do, they run the risk of keeping their children from seeing their need for genuine heart change and a personal relationship with Christ. So … could you have fallen into some parental legalism, perhaps without realizing it?
We’ll also read about how and how not to communicate with a person who is acting like a fool, and how we can sometimes practice idolatry without recognizing it for what it is.
