A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
Proverbs 13:12
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
A contention is not merely a disagreement, it’s a heated argument. You don’t have contention without the presence of passion. You can’t have contention without your heart being involved.
The worst arguments you’ll ever have are with the people closest to you. These are the people who will see your very best… and your very worst. The people you bring in the closest are the ones you’re the most comfortable with, the ones you become the most unprotected around.
Ever notice how the best mutiny plots of any show or movie are carried out by the person who was closest to the captain? It’s always the second in command… the person you least expect. This scripture teaches us that when we hurt those closest to us, these relationships are almost irreparable. Those wounds leave the worst scars.
We should take two big lessons away from this scripture. First, be careful how you treat those you’ve brought close. Just because you have trust doesn’t mean you aren’t accountable for your words and actions. Your words cut the deepest to those closest to you. Second, choose wisely who you bring in close. We often suffer or inflict irreparable damage in a relationship because we were investing in an unhealthy relationship.