17 Better is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting with strife. – Proverbs 17:1
A Good Meal
My favorite law enforcement officer, Barney Fife, once commented that he liked good food. Indeed. He said it was a trait he acquired from his mother. Apparently, the all-wise Mrs. Fife was fond of saying she would rather eat good food than bad food any day of the week. Of course, Don Knotts delivered the line as only he could. He made the statement as if it was so profound and the trait was one exclusive to his bloodline. We can laugh at Barney because almost all of us, if given the choice, would get in the feast line instead of the dry morsel (dry crust) line any day of the week. Who wouldn’t want to eat a good meal as opposed to a poor meal? The answer depends on our priorities.
Quiet
Proverbs 17:1 tells us that when we sit down to eat, our company is more important than the menu. What good is filet mignon, mahi-mahi, or even cheesecake (my weakness), if it is served in an environment filled with strife? At the end of the day, isn’t peace of mind more important than a piece of pie? Aren’t healthy loving relationships more important than full stomachs? Sorry, Barney, they should be.
When you first look at this Proverb, you might envision a person quickly grabbing some morsels from a table and running to a solitary place to get away from an unpleasant or noisy atmosphere. In so doing he may be sacrificing a physically fulfilling meal for some peace and quiet. But we have to be careful about limiting our understanding of this proverb to such a scenario. After all, it is possible that when we carry our dry crust in our hands to our solitary place we carry strife in our hearts with us. If we carry strife with us to our little corner of the world, we will not necessarily have peace. There is a difference between peace and quiet and peace of mind. I don’t want to limit this proverb to simply promoting an escapist mentality.
Strife
Strife is basically an antagonism between people. It can manifest itself in a bitter conflict, but doesn’t necessarily have to. In Genesis we see Abraham and Lot separating because of the strife between their herdsmen. Separation was deemed more prudent than a full-blown fight. In Second Samuel, David praises God for delivering him from strife with his people. Likewise, we read in the Psalms of various instances of strife being stirred up and God protecting the Psalmists in the midst of the strife.
Obviously, strife isn’t confined to the pages of Scripture. Unfortunately, it is alive and well in our society and apparently on a feeding frenzy. But where does strife come from?
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all offenses. – Proverbs 10:12
10 By insolence comes nothing but strife,
but with those who take advice is wisdom. – Proverbs 13:10
18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,
but he who is slow to anger quiets contention. – Proverbs 15:18
19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction. – Proverbs 17:19
10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,
and quarreling and abuse will cease. – Proverbs 22:10
22 A man of wrath stirs up strife,
and one given to anger causes much transgression. – Proverbs 29:22
The Prophet Isaiah tells us that God is never the source of strife.
15 If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you. – Isaiah 54:15
Strife is not of God, rather, Paul tells us, it is of the flesh.
3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? – 1 Corinthians 3:3
Heart Health
Let’s ignore our stomachs for a moment and take a look at the health of our hearts. Do any of the above proverbs describe you? Are you a source of strife? We will never totally eliminate strife from our world, but as Christians, we need to do all that we can to eliminate it from our homes and churches. Our lives should not reflect the fruit of the flesh, but rather the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of hatred, insolence, hot-tempered, love of transgression, scoffing and wrath, our lives are to be characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The love of Christ is a great antidote to the strife of the world. The Peace of God can make us feel like “royalty” even if we eat like paupers.
Preserving or Decaying
If you are unable to eliminate strife from a given environment, what are you willing to compromise to continue to be exposed to it and it’s consequences.? Rejecting a feast for dry morsels is not the only choice we may be confronted with. In a similar vein, Proverbs 15 tells us that the pursuit of wealth and the desires for possessions may also subject us to unpleasant situations. The wisdom shown in eating a dry morsel in quiet may also apply to our place of employment. What are we willing to sacrifice for a little extra compensation or notoriety? Is the strife really worth it? Again, I am not promoting being an escapist. As Christians, we are to be salt and light wherever God has placed us, but we always need to evaluate if we are preserving or decaying. We must maintain our priorities. Compromise is never an option. We may need to come to the same conclusion that Abraham and Lot did. Sometimes removing ourselves is the wisest option. Strife is not from God. It is dangerous. No fancy meal or high paying job is worth it.
Dry Morsels
I pray that your home is filled with the Peace and Love of God. May you enjoy the riches of Christ regardless of whatever material wealth you may or may not have. I hope that the relationships you have been blessed with are a source of mutual edification and not strife. If not, might this proverb inspire you to work on removing the strife from your life, or removing yourself from the strife.
The Fife’s can have the good food. The trait shared by God’s family is love.
Pass the dry morsels.
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other… – Romans 13:8a