The Holiday season brings out the good in people but it also brings out the bad. Don’t let contention destroy your holiday and your life.
Contention is a giant root that grows deep in the soil of despair for its nourishment to feed the tree of strife. Whether it is in businesses, politics, and friendship or in the home, contention destroys whatever it attacks. It is malicious and intends on destruction. The food that feeds the soil of contention is pride, greed, anger and envy, the four seeds of the seven great sins.
The Last Place on Earth is the story of Captain Scott and Ronald Amundsen; their quest’s to be the first to explore Antarctica. The story is of two different types of men and how contention won over one but the other conquered his quest. Scott was the authoritarian person you did what he said or else and the result was they all died. Amundsen was just the reverse. He planned every move, kept peace among the men of the exploration and they beat Scott to the South Pole and they survived.
Nothing is wrong about being gung ho but when it gets to the point where pride over rides common sense, then contention takes root. The old adage, peace be damned full speed ahead, is not what conquers contention. People can be over-zealous with ideas and ambitions to accomplish their deep desires. What usually happens is it leads to conflict between personalities. I have noticed in new marriages the great conflict between partners as to who will wear the pants in the family. In my experiences most men think they wear the pants but they know who really is the boss.
Women in years past usually stayed home and ran the households. Men were at work and earning a living for the family. Today after years of experience of running households engrained into the nature of women, they just automatically do their normal thing. Men however still have in their nature the idea that women run the house hold. This new shift toward the duel responsibility of the earning power is unsettling in the balance of a man’s nature.
How can a family live in this day and age without the extra amount of cash flow? Well that is another question and not one I will elaborate about today.
What needs to happen in this society is for people to put away pride and ego and realize contention destroys. There is no time to fight with one another in the world we live in today. Life is hectic and it is nonsense for a family to come together and fight with each other to gain attention. Children watch and pretty much copy the attitude of parents, adults and friends.
Copy cats exist everywhere and we seem to set the wrong example continually. Board rooms, living rooms, court rooms, the senate floor are constantly on display and show our terrible distain for our life and the respect for others. Contention is eating this nation alive and feeds off drugs, alcohol, stress, distress and the seven great sins of man.
How to stop this is only answered by every individual who suffers from this terrible disease of epidemic portions. It is contagious and only people can stop it by changing and sanitizing their attitudes toward life.
Clean out the crud in our lives. Get out the old crud cleaner meaning self control, respect, love, charity and one big dose of deep humility. This has changed people through history even if but a short time. The prophets in the Old Testament constantly preached the good virtues of man and pleaded with their people to change. It was called repentance which is a change of heart and attitude.
I’m not a prophet, nor do I preach very well but unless we do something soon we are headed for despair with serious consequences. It will be best if we do it ourselves rather than be forced or compiled to change. If you pray please continue and if not then try it, you might like it.
No one can harm the man who does himself no wrong.
