SOWING DISCORD
“A perverse man sows’ strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:28)
Brethren are created by God to live in unity (How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1). When believers are united, they are like multiple cords woven together, stronger and better able to endure the attacks from their enemies (Ecclesiastes 4:12). When someone sow discord, he attempts to undo the threefold cord which destroys the unity. Believers void of unity are weaker and more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.
God hates some things. One of them is the person who sows discord among his brethren. Some are too ready to quarrel and fight; a person will stir up strife either for money, power and control, or glory and honor, or a combination of two or more of these; he will attack his brethren due to envy. Our responsibility is to help our brothers and sisters to be edified, or built up, not torn down. Not only that, but those on the outside are watching, as well. Fighting and quarreling are destructive, and God hates that!
Sowing discord is one of the most heinous sins in the Bible. It is a wicked sin fathered by pride and was found in Lucifer in heaven who sowed discord to a third of God’s Holy angels to disobeyed God. Sowing discord is done in secret, by subterfuge (sneakiness, gossip and lies) and deceit authored by the father of deceit (Satan). All sowers of discord are false witness who breathes out lies and deceit. Sowers of discord always started off small like the small trail of water above and then it flows to other places eventually spreading everywhere; causing, in most cases, severe irreparable damages in hearts and thoughts. To sow discord is to say and do things which cause distrust among one another, which results in arguments and fights. Usually the ‘sower’ is acting as if he/she is not trying to cause arguments. People who pass vicious rumors could unintentionally be sowing discord. Spreading rumors is one of numerous ways one can play into the hands of those who sow discord. “He that covers a transgression seeks love; but he that repeats a matter separates very friends.” (Proverbs 17:9)
Sowing discord among brethren is an abomination—a totally detestable thing—in the eyes of the Lord. He hates this. ”There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers”(Proverbs 6:16-19). We have come to think that it is a harmless thing to sow discord in the office, church, but the bible says God does not only hate those sowing discord but it is an abomination to Him. God hates discord and strongly denounce those who sows strife.” A perverse man sows’ strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (Proverbs 16:28). God hates discord because it violates the unity for which Jesus prayed in John 17. It damages the oneness of the body of Christ for which Paul prayed in Ephesians 4:1–16. The badge of Christian discipleship, according to John 13:34¬–35, is Christian love, but discord destroys that badge.
When we tell tales about other ministers of God, when we say or do things that promote animosity among ministers of God, we end up sowing discord. If you go to one servant of God and tell him that another man or woman of God said such and such negative things about him, you have become an instrumental in sowing discord and strife. If you have an issue or offense with one brother, and instead of resolving this matter directly with him, you talk ill of him with another person, that is discord sowing. The second person’s opinion of the brother is automatically influenced by whatever you have said. The Lord is witness to all that happens. He is the silent listener to every conversation and one thing is certain, He hates it when we do such things!
SOWERS OF DISCORD
The sower of discord is a “worthless person, a naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth. He winks with his eyes, he shuffles his feet, he points with his fingers; Perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually; he sows discord” (Proverbs 6:12-14). "A perverse man sows strife" (Proverbs 16:28). It is a symbol of a person doing something for his own gratification, stoking their own desires. They deceive people to please themselves in some way. They are not doing it to please God rather they are telling falsehoods and lies, deceiving the brethren and causing divisions, they are obviously not pleasing God in any way. What they are gratifying in themselves could be anything.
“Sowers of Discord” sow the seeds of bitterness, anger, distrust, and hatred into the ground of other people’s hearts. These actions do not come from the spirit of God but birth from hell, from the deceiver, the devil. Such divisive behavior is included in what the bible calls “the works of the flesh.” - hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies (Galatians 5:20). They are usually driven to serve their own interests and are themselves driven, scourged and mired in relentless sin. Discord Sowers exploit the passion/emotion of others, and, more often than not, derive pleasure from conflict. Sometimes they are aware of what they are doing but sometimes they just play into the hands of spiritual forces that are intent upon destroying the mission of the church. They regularly nourish these feelings that drive their behavior by brooding on, real or perceived: past injuries, present suspicions and future insecurities. They are often propelled by inner turmoil. The Sower of Discord probes the vulnerabilities of other’s; seeking for weak points to expose and exploit. They may present some valid points but generally do not offer constructive solutions. Instead of pulling God’s people together, they divide them. They project their angry hostile behaviors onto people in the congregation (usually the leaders). The targets are usually not the cause of the problem, but merely recipients of its result.
They seek to attract followers to make their divisive cases appear stronger and may present themselves as working for a good cause. It’s easier to lose focus on yourself when you are able to critically look at others. Negative emotions, lies, half-truths and innuendo are often far more exciting than the truth. To the natural man, bad news is more exciting than good news. All believers must guard their heart because it will determine the course of our life (Proverbs 4:23).
A person who sows discord are concerned with foolish and ignorant things (2 Timothy 2:23) and are stumbling block to others (Luke 17:1-2). They are to be marked and avoided. "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses... and avoid them" (Romans 16:17).
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault (it is between you and him alone, only the two of you are involved at this point) .If he hears you, you have gained your brother.(Matthew 18:15). But if he will not hear, take with you one or two witnesses (by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. Take it to the church leadership, only as a last case scenario.
Consider the Old Testament story of Absalom. This proud young man, the son of David, used his good looks and smooth ways to create division within Israel (2 Samuel 14-19). Absalom’s pride and the ensuing division destroy many lives and led to great sorrow for many, including his own father. Today, while pride and the desire to create followers will rarely cost anyone their physical life, as happened to Absalom and many others, it will bring sorrow to a church and cost people their souls. If we are to avoid a worse punishment than that suffered by Absalom, we must avoid pride because it leads to the sowing of discord among our brothers and sisters, the children of God Almighty.
SEED OF DISCORD
To sow means to plant seed. The sower does not sow haphazardly or accidentally, but carefully plans where and how he will sow in order to reap the maximum reward. He also carefully plans what he will sow in order to reap precisely what he wishes to reap. Similarly, the one who sows discord carefully chooses his circumstances and his victim. His intention is deliberate: to produce discord. Perhaps he identifies whom he perceives to be the weakest link in a group and targets that person to introduce discord.
In most cases, when discord is sown, discord itself is not what is actually sown. What is really sown is "the seed of discord". It is like an apple tree. What is sown to produce one apple bears no resemblance to the end product. An apple seed does not even remotely resemble the apple tree that it produces. The seed of discord usually does not resemble the discord that it eventually produces. No one really sows an apple tree; if they tried, the tree would rot in the ground and produce nothing. Likewise, if "he who sows discords" attempted to force into the hearts of the saints the nasty attitude he has, they wouldn't receive it. His influence would die quickly but they can sometimes be persuaded to take into their hearts a seed of discord, suggestive comments, or information that should not be spread, or an opinion spoken in sweet tones though emanating from an envious spirit. Describing such a man, David wrote, "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart" (Psalm 55:21). The sharpest swords can be sheathed in the softest fabric.
What kind of seeds produce a harvest of discord among brothers?
• THE SEED OF PRIDE. Pride insists that I am better, and therefore deserve better, than others. My opinion deserves to be heard, and if it is not heard, I will make my discontent known. This attitude is divisive. Considering others better than yourself fosters unity; considering yourself better than others fosters division.
• SELFISHNESS. When we demand that our way of doing things be honoured, unity is destroyed. Particularly within the context of a church, we must realise that things are ultimately done for the benefit of the body, not the individual. The body is always more important than the individual. Sulking when things are not done your way only produces division. Rather than insisting that your desires must be honoured, be willing to do things in a way that will guard the unity of the whole.
• GOSSIP is a significant destroyer of harmony. It is like juicy tidbits (Proverbs 18:8), easy to swallow but it changes you and how you see others. Solomon speaks of a “dishonest man” spreading strife and a “whisperer” separating close friends (Proverbs 16:28). The “whisperer” goes about muttering unhelpful and destructive things to those whom he thinks will hear him. He will not honestly speak what is in his heart before all, but only to those whose ears he thinks he has. He will seek out those whom he thinks are likely to hear him without rebuking him, and will bare his divisive heart to them; and he will likely attract fellow whisperers to himself, those who are seeking to separate close friends. People who engage in gossip have too much time on their hands, lack of work (2 Thessalonians 3:11) and lack of purpose (1 Timothy 5:12-13).
Gossip is a sin listed along with murderers and thieves (1 Peter 4:15). It kills a person’s reputation and steals away a person’s respect. Their purpose isn’t to improve people (Ephesians 4:29) nor has intention to correct a problem. It comes from hatred (Psalm 41:7). Put away evil talk (Ephesians 4:31-32) and don't speak evil of anyone(Titus 3:1-2).
EFFECTS OF SOWING DISCORD
• It destroys the church’s unity,
• It destroys the church’s joy,
• It destroys the church’s testimony,
• It distracts God’s people, interrupts our focus on ministry,
• It impairs the purpose for which God called us,
• It weakens our worship and retards our spiritual growth,
• It disrupts our mission of saving souls,
• It hurts everyone in the family and results in weariness of the mind,
• It is a burden on our heart, resulting in heaviness of spirit,
• It is nagging spiritual ache that seeks relief, but is not soothed. It just hurts.
• "Where there is envy and strife, there is confusion and every evil work" (James 3:16), and in such circumstance, the children of God cannot grow and learn as they should.
WHO ARE THE VICTIMS OF THE DISCORD SOWER?
The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. (Psalm 37:12)
Sometimes, the greatest strife is produced by truth, but spoken at the wrong time to and by the wrong person. During the temptation of Jesus, Satan used holy Scriptures in his attempt to lure Christ away from his heavenly Father. There was nothing evil about the Scriptures the devil used; they were altogether holy and true but an evil spirit pollutes everything that it touches, and an evil being like the devil can only use Scripture as seed to produce more spirits like his, not to edify men in righteousness. A minister of God with an unclean spirit can influence a congregation to commit sin while delivering a sermon about the love of God. Sowing discord is a matter of the heart, not merely of the tongue. A godly man can say anything, and the effect of his words on the lives of God's children will be good. An ungodly man, saying those same things, can ruin happy lives.
When bitterness is hidden in the heart, its roots grow out of the mouth, seeking fertile soil. Do you have itching ears, eager for news about others? If so, you are the kind of soil that receives and produces seeds of discord. You are the kind of person who can be used by the devil to cause trouble where there is peace. Neither listen to nor speak anything unless you know that it is pleasing in the sight of God.
HOW TO AVOID BEING A DISCORD SOWER
What can we do about these dreadful traits that is in our hearts?
• Avoid those who are divisive. Paul tells us to “watch out for those who cause divisions” and to “avoid them” (Romans 16:17). He told Titus to “reject” those who were divisive (Titus 3:10).
• Avoid things that tend to division. Paul told Timothy to “avoid … irreverent babble” (1 Timothy 6:20). If a subject or activity is likely to produce division rather than harmony, we would do well to avoid it.
• The best way to promote unity is to adopt the mind of Christ. When we do so, we develop an attitude of humility and service toward others (Philippians 2:1–11). This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men (Titus 3:8). With Christ as our focus, we will look to the interests of others rather than our own interests, and we will therefore be protectors, rather than destroyers, of unity.
• Be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). if you receive Jesus Christ into your life, it can make your tongue to speak only good things.
• We shouldn't be comparing ourselves with others, but with God's word (2 Corinthians 10:10-18).
• Sowing discord among brethren often involves back-biting and gossip, all of which God hates. Are you doing the devils work for him? Speak the truth in love and edify one another!
• Keep your minds occupied with the things of God, not man.
God hates discord and, He hates those who sow discord. If we do not want to be counted among those whom God hates, we must do all we can to avoid sowing discord, remembering that every idle word we speak will come under judgement (Matthew 12:34). Rather than sowing discord, we must strive to promote unity.
Do we appreciate unity as we should? Do we abhor division the way God does? If so, lets…
• Swallow our own personal pride, humble ourselves in God’s sight, and do everything for the glory of God and not self. (1 Peter 5:5-6)
• Recommit ourselves to stirring up love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
• Have the spirit of submission to the elders that allows them to watch for our souls with joy. (Hebrews 13:17)
• Avoid the kind of whispering that separates brethren and friends. (Proverbs 16:28)
• Refrain from questioning the motives of people or assigning the worst possible motive to every action. (1 Corinthians 13:7)
Christians must not turn on one another. This does not show love, and is not from God. If we fight each other, we are in danger of destroying one another. Strife is not from God. God’s people are not to sow discord, but are to make peace. God’s people are to be pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated – that is, easy to talk to when trying to persuade – full of mercy and good works, not showing partiality or being hypocritical. We are to make peace, and avoid those who cause discord and pit one against another.
God’s energies are directed toward reconciliation rather than division. God is always trying to bring peace and harmony to people’s lives and especially to the church. He is trying to bring all mankind together through Christ. In fact, Christ’s kingdom will be made up of those who will get along. The various divisions in the world are the doings of man, not God. So, those who are causing conflict may actually be working against God.
One little grain of sand cannot do much by itself. Yet, when it stands together with other grains of sand, they can hold back the ocean (Jeremiah 5:22). God’s people can likewise accomplish much more work for Him when they are united together.
“Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
Love binds us, discord separates us. God hates those who sow discord. God’s people are peaceable.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
WORKS CITED
1. "One Who Sows Discord" by John R. Gibson
2. "Sowing Discord" by Christ Centered House of God
3. http://www.learnthebible.org/sowing-discord-proverbs-616-19.html
4. Code of Honor: Ethics, Personal Standards & Practical Wisdom for Men and ...
By Ashish Raichur
5. "Holy Hatred: One Who Sows Discord Among Brothers" by Stuart Chase
6. https://web.facebook.com/304211033862204/posts/sowers-of-discord-sow-the-seed-of-bitterness-anger-and-hatred-into-the-ground-of/333254140957893/?_rdc=1&_rdr
7. Other sources from the Internet
James Dina
Jodina5@gmail.com
7th August 2020
