Proverbs 6:19

There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: a person who sows discord among brothers.

John 17 records Jesus’ prayer to his Heavenly Father…and in it, you find that one of his primary prayer requests is unity among the family of faith. The Trinity itself is a perfect picture of unity, and so it should not come as a surprise to any follower of Christ that God would choose to hate a person who sows discord – disunity – among His Children as this is totally contrary to His will and character.

Aesop’s Fables tells the tale of a crafty lion that used to prowl around a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last however, the lion managed to turn them against each other. As a result, each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the lion attacked them – one by one – and soon made an end of all four.

Sadly, many Christians and churches fit nicely into this old fable. Satan loves to fan the flames of conflict and division as a way to not only bring chaos into a local Body of Believers…but as a way to trash their public witness (Jn. 13:35). Do you know someone in your church that tends to show up in the middle of conflicts? Perhaps you know someone who has a tendency to gossip? To stoke the flames of discord? To spread lies and innuendo? Perhaps that person is you. If it is, confess it before the Lord and repent! If it’s someone you know, diligently pray that they will see the err of their ways and turn. If they don’t – or if you struggle to yourself – it would be worth remembering how much God hates what is being done within His Body.