Page 21 - September 2025 - Truth & Tidings

n occasion, I would go with “don’ts” for handling any type of problem
a friend for a Lord’s Day to a in life. In navigating a personal affront,
Osmall assembly not too far from Proverbs gives us a divine “don’t” and
where we lived. During one of our visits, a divine “do” that serve as a basis for
a dear senior sister asked if I would make dealing with the nuances of conflict in a
her a little text to hang in their gospel God-honoring way. The negative injunc-
hall. The verse she requested was “Great tion comes first: “Say not thou,” that is, do
peace have they who love thy law” (Psa not pronounce (let alone plot) an avenging
119:165). While she did not divulge any threat against a person or brother who has
1
names or details, apparently there was a offended. This prohibition does not mean
believer in the fellowship who had some a believer is to smolder in silence, but it
personal issues with others and was caus- is coupled with a positive exhortation, a
ing considerable unrest. When nothing “do” that is essential. “Wait on the Lord”
seemed to work to alleviate the situation, directs an aggrieved believer to intention-
it was this sister’s quiet and gentle exercise ally commit the person and the situation
to try and help promote peace by display- to the Lord for Him to handle in His own
ing this verse. time and way. In Scripture, “waiting on
While there are certainly some differ- the Lord” is not idleness or, in the case
ences between “making peace” on an of an offense, just trying to forget what
intra-assembly level and on an interper- happened; instead, it means to confidently
sonal level, they are both unsettling and entrust the matter to the Lord and con-
usually intertwined. Thankfully, Scripture structively move ahead in the character
has clear guidance as to how we should of Christ and in the counsel of His Word.
respond in a way that can help address the LUKE 6:27-28 – An Acronym
complexities of each person or situation
itself, and also instruct in how to do so in a for Action
way that will honor the Lord and promote In His classic sermon on the display of
our spiritual growth in the process. In the true kingdom righteousness in a believer’s
following four passages, we will be focus- life, the Lord Jesus expands on the two
ing on the more basic interpersonal aspect. foundational principles from the verse in
Proverbs and gives four specific “actions”
PROVERBS 20:22 – A “Don’t” to those in a crucible of conflict. In each
and a “Do” one, He juxtaposes a positive “action” of
There are usually some basic “dos” and the believer against a contrasting descrip-
tion and/or action of an antagonist. In this
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the context, it seems the Lord has in mind
KJV. hostile persecution from unbelievers.
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