Respect... another thought...

Today, I would like to make it clear to everyone reading this that any Christian can be a teacher, regardless of age.  Sometimes the Spirit lays a concept on someone, it gets shared, and someone else learns something.  The great part about this moment today, though, is that the person who posted this thought on facebook is not someone I teach... just a member of the youth group at my church who happened to post this thought when I happened to be looking.  It's neat how that works!

"If you don't hear it with your own ears or see it with your own eyes, don't invent it with your small mind and share it with your big mouth."

I won't name this youth unless given permission, but the statement speaks volumes to all believers.  And I believe that the wisdom of it is two-fold.  We'll start with the first part, and tie it to a favorite Scripture of almost everyone I know.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Human beings are such an interesting species, really, because we all tend to invent our own realities when we cannot see them.  We all lack faith in just believing what we read of God and what will come.  And how different would our lives be if rather than just believing in Him, we started to BELIEVE HIM?  The youth says, "don't invent it with your small mind," and that advice is sound.  And before anyone gets all offended and says that their mind isn't small, let me tell you that mine is.  And the one who said it has a mind the same size.  And so is yours.  In comparison to God and the way He understands things, we are all so small-minded and incapable of even grasping the simplest and easiest of His concepts, for He is higher and above us (Isaiah 55:8).  

We concoct all kinds of nonsense in our own minds that leads us to ridiculous conclusions that never would have existed, and all because we forget that we are small-minded and simple and fickle and sad, sad, sad little things in comparison to the One worthy of all our worship and praise, the One Who gives us the commandments and the way we should live.  Some suddenly think that we have attained some level of superior knowledge, and that there is a "new" discovery or level of understanding that somehow has been missed since the creation of time... each generation has "this person" who believes and pushes this belief out there.  But did they see it with their eyes or hear it with their ears?  Or did they invent it by jumping to a conclusion that they can control, unlike God, which will never fit into a box we make for Him?  Is that not blasphemy?  Something to think about...

"There on the storm, I am learning to let go of the will that I so long to control."

~ "Calmer of the Storm" by Downhere

It is an accurate statement, is it not, that we all wish and yearn and long for control.  But rather than surrender those things we cannot control and seek blessing for the ones we can, we try to force the issue and invent our own rules and regulations.  And THAT is what it means to be a Pharisee of the time of Jesus.  Did that sting for you?  It does for me. 

Then we come to the second part of that statement, in that we should not share it with our big mouth.

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

Proverbs 10:19

All I'll say of this is that gossip and rumor destroy lives.  They are evil twins who wreak havoc on relationships and character, and there is never a complete healing from the evil that is inserted by them.  We grow past it in some sense, and we certainly forgive... or at least, we should... but forgetting is difficult, especially when it hurts (Proverbs 12:18a).  But the second portion of that verse is where our Christian lives should take over, because we should employ whatever amount of wisdom we have in our speech (Proverbs 12:18b). 

But again, if we are looking at our level of respect, isn't it disrespectful to the Lord, the Creator, to disrespect His creation?  So if we gossip about each other, is that not an affront to God?  He created all these people, right?  So that makes them all His children, prodigal though some may be.  So wouldn't we do well to respect each other, and therefore show more respect to the Lord?  Again, it's something to think about.

This study has been powerful for me... I pray that it has been enjoyable for you, as well, and that some examination of your preparation and awareness of your worship has been enhanced, in even the smallest way.  Now go and encourage another to do the same examination, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!