One who loves to offend loves strife; one who builds a high threshold invites injury. Proverbs 17:19 CSB
This Proverb teaches us that our words and actions have consequences. For example, we sometimes live in a constant state of stress and weariness, yet we won’t be honest about how much sleep we are actually getting or how we allow unprofitable things (like our phones, games, social media, etc.) to harry us and compromise our time. Our lack of honesty with ourselves makes us wonder, “Why is this happening to me?” and yet sometimes the obvious answer is that “We are the problem!” We just don’t like that answer, so we ignore it.
This text highlights someone who causes their own problems. Because they love to offend others, whether by enjoying joking and teasing or by an insatiable need to always be right, their life is constant strife. Some people honestly love strife; their lives are constant turmoil and chaos, and somehow they draw satisfaction from it. I don’t know if this is because they want to be the center of attention, or because it gives them something to constantly complain about. Those who love to offend should not be surprised by constant strife. The writer says it is like building the threshold of your entry door too high. You’re inviting injury because every time you enter your home, you trip on the threshold you yourself built too high. If you sow offense, division, or strife, you will reap strife. If your life is constant turmoil, maybe take a beat and ask yourself, “Am I the problem?” Willingness to hear that answer and address it is a mark of maturity.
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