Monday ~ May 21, 2012

Monday ~ May 21, 2012

GUEST BLOGGER MONDAY

Carrie Sharpe

Does your family live on the roof?

Proverbs 21:9 tells us it is “Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.”

I don’t know about you, but I sure hope my family never feels like it would be better to be perched on our roof than inside our house with me. 

Dictionary.com defines “contentious” this way: tending to argument or strife; quarrelsome; causing, involving, or characterized by argument or controversy.  Doesn’t exactly sound pleasant, does it?  I know I tend to avoid people who could be characterized as contentious.  They are argumentative, always trying to prove a point.  They constantly point out the flaws in everything around them.  They are disagreeable and interested in causing trouble.  They are cranky and miserable.

Being contentious is a pride problem. 

Whether man or woman, if you allow your pride to swell, you may become contentious.  Contentious people generally believe their way is the only right way to do something.  Contentious people generally believe they are right and others are wrong.  They are quick to dismiss others’ ideas, viewpoints, and insights, believing their own to be superior.  Surprisingly, most contentious people are blind to the fact that they are contentious.  Their pride overshadows the truth.

Unfortunately, there have been times I’ve been contentious.  When I am, I recognize it because my family scatters like insects.  Seriously—if you’re argumentative and biting off the heads of everyone in your house, they will all run away from you.  Quickly.  They will hide, hoping to avoid your Medusa-like countenance.  I wish I could say it’s never happened to me, but it has.  Contentiousness rears its ugly head, and when it does everyone around me runs for cover.  My whole family ends up huddled on the roof, so to speak.  It’s better for them to be up there than to be inside the house with contentious me.

If you find yourself wondering if you are contentious, ask your spouse or a close friend if you are.  Pray about it, and ask God to point it out to you.  If you are contentious, ask for forgiveness from God and from those whom you may have offended.  Humility can replace pride.  God is in the business of helping us get our hearts right.  Thankfully, He loves us even when we are contentious.  Thankfully, He forgives us and helps us move forward with our focus more on Him and others than on proving we are “right”.

When we eliminate our contentious ways, our family members will want to climb down from our housetops and move back into our homes, finding peace rather than strife.

Carrie Sharpe began public speaking and blogging after her son, Maverick, almost died from a life-threatening illness.  Carrie shares her experiences and life lessons to help others see the Lord’s love and power in their lives.  Carrie resides in Gaylord, MI, with her husband, Ryan, and their five children.  Their “He says, She says” blog and website can be found at http://www.ryancarriesharpe.com.  Carrie will be speaking at the Woman to Woman Conference at Gaylord E-Free Church this fall.