Proverbs 20:3  Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, But any fool will quarrel.

I used to argue a lot. They would start out as a friendly discussion, and then would quickly descend into heated discussion, to debate, and to a hot argument. One day I read this verse, which I had read many times before, but this time I saw myself as the fool that will argue about most anything. It was like all of a sudden this verse became a mirror where I could see myself clearly, and I didn’t like what I saw. I wrote a clear commitment of how I would act and deal with controversy when it came up in my life. I basically promised myself and God that I would not argue any more about anything. I haven’t conquered this yet, but I am much better than I used to be. When I find myself in a discussion that is becoming an argument I practice this verse in Provers 17:14 “The beginning of strife is like letting out water,  So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.” I abandon the argument, change the subject or simple say, “you are right”. It is difficult because I Feel like I have lost a contest, and nobody likes to lose.