Hardening the heart

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

HARDENING THE HEART

Prov 26:21

21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

NIV

The Hebrew says that the charcoal and wood are like a contentious man who kindles a contest. Strife does mean that in this context. The idea is that somehow this person creates a contest or strife between two others. Now there may have already been a small amount of distant between these two people in their thinking such as an ember beneath the surface, not a full fledge flaming argument, but this person comes along and fans those embers until it becomes an all-out brawl. Now we should not allow friends to have or carry hard feelings toward each other, but we also are not to get involved in their dispute by taking sides with one or the other. We certainly are not supposed to encourage any strife that exists between them. At the same time not wanting them to have this strife we cannot, unless asked, to act as that arbitrator. So then how do we deal with the knowledge of a strife between two of our friends? The most effective means of dealing with it would be to pray for them. When people are in that manner of conflict the world might say counseling is the solution. However the underlying feelings which has caused the strife in the first place may never be resolved through some arbitrator or counselor. The heart can only be changed by God and then the person has to allow him to do that work within. Nothing will change the heart of man without the consent or willingness of the man. Strife is a result of the heart wanting what the heart wants and is unwilling to bend. Instead of trying to change the heart of another, which may even be in some sense fanning the flames which are within, we should seek the Lord for the Holy Spirit to convict, which he already is in the midst of doing. But again only the heart of those in strife can change their heart, or allow God to change it. If we know of the strife, if might not be a good idea to keep reminding one of them about the strife, that may be fanning the flame. Bringing up their strife only brings it to the forefront of their mind and stirs the pot, so to speak. So let us just keep them before the Lord, allowing the Spirit to make the effort to break though that hardened heart. Let us not be the one to harden their heart.