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The thoughts of someone who reads the Word and tries to figure life out while doing it.
Last Published: 10/27/2008 5:09:17 AM
Foolin' Around
Posted by: Bible Blogger on May 15, 2008 at 10:22AM EST

(Listen to the Podcast at www.bibleblogpodcast.com or subscribe at iTunes.)

There's a woman I know who to be honest has less than a kind spirit.  She revels in pointing out the flaws of other people and if she can't find a flaw to exploit she'll make something up to try and paint others in a flawed light so she can swoop in and claim to be the person with answers to everything.  I don't say this to hold her up for scorn (and don't ask because I won't name her) but rather as an example of someone who seeks to harm other people.  When you're faced with someone like that at work or school or church it's very tempting to respond in-kind to those folks and fire back with some flaming arrows of your own.  (I know I've struggled with it at times.)

It reminds of that quote from the movie The Untouchables where Sean Connery's character is telling Kevin Costner's about "the Chicago way":  "They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue."  Arguments with someone who seeks only to cause problems for other people...or seeks to denigrate others for their own pride or recognition...are like the people referred to in the quote.  The situations with them keep escalating because if you respond to them in-kind or perhaps even a little worse things build and build until finally you find that everyone's been hurt, everyone's been tainted and quite possibly Christ himself has been smeared by your actions in the eyes of those around you who haven't accepting Christ as Lord.

It's situations like this that get a lot of attention in Proverbs.  For example, Proverbs 14:7 (ESV) says "leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge."  Proverbs 18:6 (ESV): "A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating."  Proverbs 26:4 (ESV): "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself."  Proverbs 29:9 (ESV): "If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."  So what do we do when faced with those who speak foolishly (or, perhaps, post in their blogs on the internet foolishly?) 

Paul gives us a great answer in Romans.  In Romans 12:14 (ESV) Paul writes "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them."  I think that's one of the lines for which the phrase "easier said than done" was invented.  When someone is lying about you, something you had done or not done, your family, your friends...it's hard to keep your mouth from turning around and doing the same thing to that person or their family.   Yet as you see when you read this verse with the Proverbs, Paul is giving you a simple path to follow to avoid situations where you can end up being the fool yourself.  In addition, your blessing them is showing Christ's love and forgiveness through your deeds as well as your words (or, more than likely, lack of certain words.)  In this you might be able to break through to them about their actions not being in line with God's will for our lives...but at the very least you'll make sure that your actions are in line with God's.

Realize also that "bless" does not necessarily mean any kind of physical action.  It could simply be as easy as not responding to the person with a biting or divisive comment on your own.  Showing them the courtesy of decent speech and dialogue can itself be a blessing to them even if they don't realize this at the time. 

Now, I am NOT saying that you should never defend yourself when someone falsely accuses you of something.  Jesus defended himself by bringing up the truth and in doing so did not necessarily call attention to the fact he was defending himself.  Stating the facts when presented with false witness is not a sin.  However, if after presenting them you continue to argue with the person...well...

It's not a fun thing to do when someone's bearing false witness against you to bless them.  Sometimes you'd rather dip yourself in hot sauce and roll around in a huge pile of thumbtacks for an hour or so.  At the end of the day...when all the situations are done...ultimately it's just you and God.  You answer to Him.  What kind of answer do you want to give Him when he asks how you handled the situation?

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