Proverbs 3:30

Don’t pick a fight without reason, when no one has done you harm.

Now that we are living in the days of social media and what I like to call “keyboard courage”, this passage speaks far beyond it’s original intent which was focused on frivolous lawsuits, especially amongst fellow Believers (1 Cor. 6:1; Mth. 5:40). If our walk with the Lord is to be confirmed rather than questioned, then we must be people of peace (Rom. 12:18).

When it comes to our witness on social media specifically, there is a statement from the Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary that I think bears repeating here:

“Strife rarely ends with those who begin it. Man’s relationship to his fellows renders it impossible for the result of his good or evil deeds to remain with himself alone.”

Verbal fights and the slinging of insults has become quite common on social media…even amongst professing Christians…and we always have a bigger audience than we realize. Today’s passage admonishes us to refrain from taking the bait when an opportunity to fight (without a good reason) presents itself. Just because you can post a reply or an aggressive statement does not mean you should. The harsh words of others may annoy you or anger you, but they will rarely do you any real harm. And remember: the results of your “evil deeds” will not remain unseen.