Titus 3:2 –
They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone.
Wow, this chapter is power packed with good stuff!! The first 11 verses give advice we all could live by. I picked this one because it ties into yesterdays “thought” since it explicitly tells us how we must respond. Think of how many times we have talked badly about someone! Complaining about how they did this or did not do that, how lazy they are or how little they did.
We get caught up in our own little world of self-righteousness and forget this verse often. We focus more on our immediate needs and less on those around us. People are always looking to pick your faith apart and this is the most common way they do it. We slander others and the non-believer says, “who are you to judge” what give you the right? The last thing they want to do is be a part of a group that talks behind each other’s back.
The quarreling aspect of this verse is another one that we all need to work on. Think about the petty arguments we get into about this or that being right or wrong. No we can never figure whose lives are being affected by our arguments. People will hear this and think why should I sacrifice my time and life for what I already have. We must “show true humility to everyone” in our lives. We are not always right and if we get all pompous when we are, it turns people off.
Now so it’s clear, “quarreling” does not mean your parents are not to punish you. It should actually mean more than just that, if you are quarreling with them that is wrong. There are times when we abuse our authority, but we are trying to guide you kids to what is best for your lives and not to make the same mistakes we have over the years. So like with our relationship with God, we may not like the punishment given but we need to reflect before speaking out in anger.