My Pastor is an incredibly amazing man of God.
The Godly wisdom that he uses while dealing with situations within his own life, the lives of his saints and the church in general, is astounding.
On Wednesday night, he preached about the danger of fighting someone else's battle and taking up with a 'side,' when you don't know the full story.
His text was taken from Proverbs 26:17:
"He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."
He was careful to point out that at this time, dogs were not domesticated, cute, furry creatures, as we know them today.
They were commonly violent, vicious and wild animals that did not belong in a household.
--
When we take 'sides' on a war that is not our own, join arms in a battle that does not involve us, and recruit others to fight in a cold war that involves us not at all, we are jumping into a very, very dangerous and volatile situation.
In verse 22, the wisdom of Proverbs continues: "The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."
Talebearer: "a person who spreads gossip, secrets, etc., that may cause trouble or harm."
A talebearer wounds the individual whose tales they are bearing...would you intentionally stab someone in the back with a knife? In a literal sense?
Then why do you feel that it's ok to stab someone in the back in a figurative sense?
Words are no less harmful than knives to the receiver of the wound.
Verse 28 continues on to say: "A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin."
If you have lied against/about someone...you hate that person. At least, that's what I'm reading in this passage of scripture. "Hateth those that are afflicted by it."
We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. Does this JUST include those who live, physically, next to us?
No.
That would be an asinine assumption to make.
Just remember that in Romans chapter 1, verses 29-31, backbiters are grouped into the same category as: "unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful"
That list sends shivers down my spine.
Such a 'simple' sin as backbiting gets the same 'recognition' here as HATERS OF GOD, inventors of evil things, murderers and adulterers.
Lord help us to control our tongues.
If you are the individual trying to get someone on 'your side,' you are not doing your friends a favor. In fact, you are stunting their growth spiritually.
Keep your nose in your own business, because, more than likely, if you're sticking it somewhere it doesn't belong, your own life is in Spiritual shambles.
.JPG)