The real boss

WHILE getting ready for bed one evening at our home in Uganda, my 9 year old son said, “Mummy, the man who fights is the boss. The man who doesn’t fight is the real boss!”

Seven months later, American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke some words in response to attacks on American diplomatic missions in the Middle East that echoed my son’s convictions.

“When Christians are subject to insults to their faith, and that certainly happens, we expect them not to resort to violence,” Clinton said. “The same goes for all faiths.... Refraining from violence, then, is not a sign of weakness in one’s faith; it is... a sign that one’s faith is unshakable.”

Whether from the mouths of babes or seasoned leaders, there’s wisdom in the exhortation to refrain from fighting.

As Scripture strongly states: “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honour; only fools insist on quarrelling” (Proverbs 20:3); “An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin. Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honour” (29:22-23); “A hot-tempered person starts fights; a cool-tempered person stops them” (15:18); “Greed causes fighting; trusting the Lord leads to prosperity. Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe” (28:25-26).

As followers of Jesus, let’s adhere to the apostle Paul’s advice, “Don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone . . . and be patient with difficult people” (2 Timothy 2:2324). — Roxanne Robbins