Proverbs 28:14
The Lord blesses everyone
who is afraid to do evil,
but if you are cruel,
you will end up in trouble.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Let’s
be real…there are well-meaning people in this world who seem to stick
their foot in their mouths at every turn. They seem to have a knack for
saying or doing the wrong thing at the most inappropriate time. We know
they have good intentions…their delivery is just poor and misguided.
We understand that their hearts are big…but they may be a little lacking
in the common sense department.
But then there are those who
seem to have a habit of “speaking their mind,” or trying to “put others
in their place”…as if they have some level of higher authority. Their
smug demeanor and meddling behaviors can be aggravating and insulting…if
not downright cruel. They have an opinion, and they are not afraid to
express it! And sometimes, the very people who say and do these things
are the ones who want to hide behind the name of Jesus and claim to be
His most devoted servants.
This is just my opinion – but
scripture seems to back me up on it…those who claim to serve Jesus while
judging others are headed down a slippery slope. I don’t believe that
Jesus called any of us to love others as we love Him - and as we love
ourselves - but give them a good dose of the “Reality According to Me”
in the process. I believe that Jesus wants us to check our thoughts,
words and actions…to ask, “What purpose does this serve?”…to take a
breath and determine whether what we are about to deliver represents a
witness to His love, grace, mercy and kindness – or the cruel and evil
actions of the devil himself.
The question becomes, “To whom will
you listen?” Who will you serve…and how will your “witness” represent
your relationship with God? These are important questions that we
should all be asking with regularity. We cannot downplay the
significance of a Christian discipleship that includes a hefty dose of
“stop, look, and listen” as we interact with others. To do otherwise is
to risk not only the blessings of the LORD…but also the addition of
others to His Kingdom because our “witness” was a deterrent. Surely
none of us wants this!
Will you join me in taking a few minutes
each day to “stop, look and listen” for the voice of God? Will you ask
Him to give you a tender and perceptive heart…to replace cruelty and
insensitivity with compassion and insight? Will this be the day that
your Christian witness truly counts…and glorifies God in every way?
Don’t you think it should be?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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