AUDREY DICKEY MINISTRIES
Glory International Center
"A Center for God's Presence"
STRIFE IS BICKERING, ARGUING, HEATED DISAGREEMENT, AND AN ANGRY UNDERCURRENT. STRIFE IS DANGEROUS AND DESTRUCTIVE. IT WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY UNLESS IT IS CONFRONTED AND STOPPED.
STRIFE DESTROYS MARRIAGES, FAMILIES, FRIENDSHIPS, BUSINESSES, CHURCHES AND OTHER TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS. GOD LOVES RELATIONSHIPS, AND TELLS US TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER; YET THE ENEMY HATES RELATIONSHIPS AND USES STRIFE AS A TOOL TO DESTROY THAT WHICH GOD LOVES IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE WILL OR PLAN OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.
We deal with strife when we are willing to ask Holy Spirit to help us replace strife with peace and love. First by having the willingness to humble ourselves and go the extra distance to maintain peace. The enemy knows that there is power for Believers if they commit to live in unity and agreement. By pursuing peace, we are able to walk in love which is a commandment from God and as we walk in love and stay in peace God will honor our obedience and the Holy Spirit will help us continue to walk upright before God. Hold your peace in upsetting and frustrating situations because of your love and devotion to the Lord.
II Timothy 2:23-24 says: "But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questions, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels. And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending. Instead, he must be kind to everyone and mild-tempered [pre-serving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong." Remember that "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]." Proverbs 18:21.
SCRIPTURES REGARDING PEACE
(Most scriptures are from the Amplified Bible)
Job 22:21:
Acquaint now yourself with Him [agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will] and be at peace; by that [you shall prosper and great] good shall come to you.
Psalm 85:8:
I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)…
Proverbs 16:7:
When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Isaiah 26:3:
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
Isaiah 54:10:
For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.
John 14:27:
Peace I leave with you, My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled].
Philippians 4:7:
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
II Thessalonians 3:16:
Now may the Lord of peace Himself grant you His peace (the peace of His kingdom) at all times and in all ways [under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes]. The Lord [be] with you all.
Hebrews 12:14:
Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. Ps 94:12-15: He wants us to come to the point where we can keep ourselves calm in the day of adversity.
SCRIPTURES REGARDING SELF-CONTROL
Proverbs 15:18:
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife but he who is slow to anger appeases contention.
Proverbs 28:25:
He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.
Proverbs 31:16:
She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.
Ecclesiastes 5:8:
Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5:4:
When you vow a vow or make a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God has no pleasure in fools (those who witlessly mock Him). Pay what you vow.
Ecclesiastes 7:9:
Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.
Luke 21:19:
By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls.
1 Corinthians 6:12:
Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5:
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
Colossians 4:6:
Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you].
Ephesians 4:29:
Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.
Colossians 3:12-14:
Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of
yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].
2 Peter 1:5-7:
For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in “exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] stead fasting [develop] godliness (piety), And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.
SCRIPTURES REGARDING WALKING IN LOVE
Deuteronomy 10:12:
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but [reverently] to fear the Lord your God, [that is] to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being.
John 13:34:
I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.
Ephesians 4:1-2:
I Therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you the walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service. Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.
Ephesians 5:2:
And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] sweet fragrance.
Colossians 3:12-14:
Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].
1 John 4:7-8:
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (spring) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].
1 John: 4-12:
No man has at any time [yet] seen God. But if we love one anther, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!
1 John 4:17-19:
In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the Day of Judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. We love Him, because He first loved us.
Luke 10:27:
…You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.
Ps 118:6:
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Fear God, not man.
Hebrews 13:6:
So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified.] What can man do to me?
John 20:28:
…My Lord and my God! (This is who Jesus is and we can find comfort in this alone).
I Corinthians 13:1-8 - The Way of Love: Verses 4-8 says in the Amplified version: Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
Compiled by Audrey L. Dickey, PhD
Christian Love Fellowship Church, Inc.
SCRIPTURES TO COMBAT STRIFE