During my college years I remember listening to a song by a secular group who called themselves the “Spin Doctors”. The song was, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”, which talked about a girl who felt she always had to be right about everything. In the song it was clear that the artist found this trait to be quite annoying, and I have to confess, I’m sure I would have also. Do you know anyone like this? In college, I certainly did. For them, it seemed as though being proven right was of primary importance. I admit that there are times when defending an idea is important, but I would submit to you that believers should choose their battles wisely. Proverbs, the book that provides both practical and godly advice, says this in chapter 17, verse 14:
“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”
I can attest that in my life, pursuing peace in a relationship is more important than being proven right. Arguing a point that doesn’t really matter is like breaching a dam. Proverbs says that we should drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. In doing so, you might save yourself a major headache and you might even save a friendship. If you find yourself arguing with your friends, family or significant other over things that really don’t matter, consider if being right is really more important than maintaining peace. Because if you start a quarrel, before long, you may find yourself in the middle of a heated dispute where words can be said and feelings can be hurt just because you’ve opened the floodgates to needless contention.
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Often times quarreling can be avoided. And more often than not, there is no benefit to starting an argument or pushing someone’s buttons. Needless arguments only lead to anger, pain and sometimes, regret. If you have a problem in this area, it may take an added level of self-control, patience and maybe even a bit of understanding to stop a quarrel before it starts. It is worth praying that the Holy Spirit help you to guard your tongue. Because even though we can say something, it doesn’t mean that we always should. Our words can be a weapon, so you might want to be careful who they are aimed at. So why don’t we take this proverb to heart? “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” I think that is good advice.
