John 14:15-16
It is because of this solemn fear of
the Lord, which is ever present in our minds, that we work so hard to
win others. God knows our hearts, that they are pure in this matter, and
I hope that, deep within, you really know it too.
Are we trying
to pat ourselves on the back again? No, I am giving you some good
ammunition! You can use this on those preachers of yours who brag about
how well they look and preach but don’t have true and honest hearts. You
can boast about us that we, at least, are well intentioned and honest.
Are
we insane to say such things about ourselves? If so, it is to bring
glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
If you saw something
happening that could potentially harm a person you know and love, you
would tell him/her…right? Let’s say your friend was out on the lake in a
boat, and you knew that a storm was headed toward them. Even if you
felt like this person might have access to weather radar, you would
probably phone or text him/her and say, “Heads up! A storm is
coming!”…just to be sure and safe! You would not be doing this to be a
“know-it-all”…you would be trying to keep your friend or loved one from
getting hurt in a storm!
Suppose you saw someone about to step in
a hole. You could keep quiet and vow not to meddle…or you could speak
up and prevent a potential disaster – or this person being injured.
Which would you choose?
This seems like a no-brainer. But
getting involved can sometimes be a slippery slope. We could easily be
labeled as one who meddles…or people could decide we are arrogant and/or
condescending – or that we don’t have all of the facts. We have to
prayerfully work at letting others know that we care…that we are not
acting out of a sense of superiority, but rather from our heart and a
desire for them to enjoy God’s best – and we have to sincerely mean what
we say!
How do we accomplish this? We must first remind
ourselves that people don’t care what we know until they know that we
care. Let’s say that a dear friend of mine who I trust tells me she
thinks I have misjudged a situation and have blown it totally out of
proportion. I would probably listen to her and interpret this comment
as one offered in love and kindness. But if someone I barely know said
this to me, I would most likely be insulted and consider it a criticism –
and meddling on his/her part!
Even with close, dear friends and
loved ones, we must temper our thoughts and actions – and always ask
God…”Am I saying/doing the right thing?” We want to be good Disciples
of Christ…we want to encourage others and stand up for God’s
commandments and the teachings of Jesus. But there is a right and wrong
way to do these things…and it only takes one act of arrogance or
criticism to ruin our witness with that person – possibly forever.
So
guard your heart – and your words and actions. Prayerfully ask God to
show you what to say and do…how to demonstrate the love of Jesus to
others - and when it is appropriate to speak up about something. Ask
Him to guide you and give you wisdom, tact, and the ability to convey
genuine concern and care to others. Ask God to help you develop a heart
for His children - all of them - and to always act and speak with
sincerity and Christian love.
There will be times when we will
still miss the mark – or someone will misinterpret our most sincere
comments and actions. But when we focus on making a difference, rather
than making a point – and seek God’s wisdom in all of these things – we
have a far better shot of getting it right. And shouldn’t that be our
goal?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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