“Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.” (NIV)
” The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes]; therefore, abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.” (AMP)
In the movie Evan Almighty, we find the Lord calling Evan, a newly elected Congressman, to stand against the evil of capitalism. The enemy, Congressman Wright, played by John Goodman, has built a dam and used shoddy construction to maximize profits and get rich in the process. At the end of the movie, the dam breaks and a lake full of water comes rushing down, destroying everything in its path. Evan’s ark ends up at the Capitol building, where Congressman Wright is standing. I love this movie for many reasons, but for today, let us focus on the water.
A glass of water is great on a hot day. It cools you off and refreshes you. A swimming pool filled with cold water is also a great thing on a hot summer day. Water is not our enemy; in fact, it is vital to our survival. As good as water is, it can cause major things to appear, just ask the Grand Canyon.
Starting a quarrel is like breaking a dam, just like in the movie. It starts with a poorly placed comment, then leads to more of the same. And sure enough, if you are not careful, the dam breaks, and you have yourself a full-fledged dispute with yelling and cursing. If the broken dam in the movie wiped out a whole neighborhood, house and all, then why do you think the Lord compares quarreling to the breaking of a dam? Simply put, because quarreling destroys things. There can be no good that comes of it at all.
One of the most important things you can learn in a relationship is this principle. We learn, with guidance from the Lord, to handle differences, but quarreling should not happen at all. It would be better if you follow the advice of Solomon here and drop the matter before it becomes something that will destroy. Every time you lose your temper, picture that dam bursting and a torrent of water on its way to destroy things you once cherished. Even more, picture that relationship being ripped up and shredded before your eyes. Your exploded temper is the devil’s tool to ruin your relationship, and he will use just about anything to help you explode it.
Today, pray hard for the Lord to calm you in the middle of differences and difficult topics. If you do explode, there is always a mess to clean up, and you may not like to see what is left.
Prayer: Father, I pray that my temper will be submitted to you. I surrender my temper to you, Lord. I surrender my impatience to you, Lord. I surrender my anger to you, Lord. I surrender it all under the grace you showed us with the cross. Help us to keep silent and listen to the Holy Spirit about what to speak and when to speak. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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