A Practical Guide to the Logic, Philosophy and Thoughts of Christianity

Section 2 - Article 6

Article 6 - When Christians fight

When Christians fight amongst themselves, we sin against God more than we sin than against each other.

If two children fight, it affects the father more than it does the individual children. And it is not for one child to discipline the other child (for what right has the blind to lead the blind?), but for the father to do so. All the child can do is to make sure that they do no wrong before the father. Even if one child is in the wrong, the other child should not retaliate, for in doing so, the other child also commits a wrongdoing that deserves discipline.

The father also metes out discipline differently according to the child and the deeds. The father also has his own timing, appropriate severity for the punishment (especially if he is a just father). It is not for the child to tell the father how to discipline the other child (for who are we to judge motes when we have beams in our own eyes?).

If the problem lies in the child's misuse and abuse of things given by the father, it would be up to the father, who is the giver, to also discipline. It hurts the father if his two children fight regarding a gift that the father gives (all things are given by the Father). And the father may simply decide to take everything away. Those things that are given by the father should not be a reason to come between the children's relationships.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we all ought to be more forgiving. Sometimes we are too petty and lose sight of the big picture. God's view and ways are so much bigger than ours, and we are really petty if we let small things affect our vision of God. Sinfully, we let things bug us, give us pressure, and this is because we have lost perspective of ourselves before God. Before God, we are so very small and those things that bug us are even smaller.

I am sure most of us can recall times when we fought with others over very small things when we were very young. And recalling those memories can sometimes bring us some embarrassment or bittersweet feelings. Hopefully, we regret what we did, especially if we fell out with a friend over something really insignificant (such as theft of a pen). If we do not feel regret, we have lost our sense of perspective. For definitely, when we stand before God for judgment, we have to realize that we had ignored the purpose of His gifts, and how much more we owe Him - the giver. And then we realize that all these worldly matters are so truly trivial.

Only the things of God are really important, and only the things of God are eternal. Our human lifespan is merely a passing breeze, and the things that bother us should not hinder our relationship with the eternal God. Loving one another and following His commandments are the eternal things. Everything else is so very small.