MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS
Have you ever been tempted
to give advice when nobody really wants
it? I know I’m still working on that one.
At about 7:30 in the
evening I was writing at my local coffee shop when I overheard a customer ask,
“Any double chocolate brownies left?” The cashier said, “No, they’re all gone.”
I wanted to jump right up and shout, “No they’re not! I saw you put them in the
back room almost an hour ago.” I knew it was wrong for him to put all the
goodies away so early but really it
wasn’t any of my business. I’ve found out that sticking my nose in where it
doesn’t belong gest me in trouble. And when someone doesn’t want my opinion, it’s
better just to stay quiet. Even if I butt
in and give my opinion, they aren’t going to listen
really. People don’t listen until they decide to hear.
Proverbs 9:7-8 tells us: “If you correct conceited people, you will only be
insulted. If you reprimand evil people, you will only get hurt.”
How often have we made
that mistake? There’s a time, and a place
for everything and only the Lord knows the time and place. That’s why it’s so
important to walk by the spirit and not by the flesh when we deal with people,
especially when it comes to correcting something we think is an error.
With strangers and even
with friends we need to wait until they ask or unless the Lord pushes us in
that direction to help. We need to be busy doing what we’re supposed to be
doing and let the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of God guide us concerning other
people.
If the Holy Spirit had
told me to say something, I would have, but He didn’t, so I needed to keep quiet (and quit grumbling under my
breath about it too!) We do a lot of murmuring and grumbling about people
instead of praying for them. We need to remember God loves them just as much as
He does us.
Philippians 2:14-16 tells
us: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That we may be blameless
and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom we shine as lights in the world; holding forth the
word of life.”
When it comes to reproving
or correcting, it’s essential to be led by the Spirit of Christ. The motivation
must be the love of God, not the self-righteous scolding of a know-it-all.
If the Lord’s not telling
us to correct a person, then we can pray
for them.
I didn’t know the whole
story of why the guy didn’t get the brownies for the lady, but I did know that God didn’t want me to butt in. Maybe He was
protecting me.
The Bible says: “Cast not
your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn
again and rend you (tear you in pieces).” Is that what we want? Of course not!
And the Lord doesn’t want that for us either. He’ll let us know when to give
advice and when not to.
Instead of jumping into
situations where the Spirit hasn’t led us, we pray. That way we don’t get hurt
and people who want to hear the truth will ask.
Love, Carolyn
My WINGS books are all
available on Amazon. Each week I offer one for FREE. But if you can’t download
it free from Amazon, I can send you a word doc or a pdf file so you can read it
FREE on your computer. Let me know at cjmolica@yahoo.com
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