June 2, 2020
WOW! What a past couple of weeks this has been! Covid 19, George Floyd’s tragic murder, protests, looting, riots (not to mention murder hornets and flame throwing squirrels…those were on Facebook…just saying)! It seems as if the whole country has gone crazy. While I realize extremists on both ends of the political, racial, and social spectrum gather most of the media attention, both mainstream and social, there are some lessons for us in all of this as well. I can’t help but compare our world’s situation to a situation described by Solomon in Proverbs 1:20-33. My Bible has a caption at the beginning of this paragraph titled “Seek Wisdom”. Boy, is that good advice right about now! Solomon reminds us, “Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words: How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:20-22 NKJV). The words simple and simplicity in these verses mean naïve and naïveté. In other words, wisdom is out there, we just have to look and listen for it! With all that is going on in our world, it is easy to let our emotions get away from us. If you are like me, I often find myself getting upset or excited and blurting out exactly what I am feeling and thinking. Generally, after I have had a chance to calm down, I realize that I didn’t accomplish anything with my outburst except throw some more fuel on an already out of control inferno. Don’t misunderstand me. When we see injustice, meanness or evil, it is critical for us to speak up and it is sinful when we don’t (please don’t add the “yeah, buts”…silence equals compliance and I have been silent for far too long). With that being said, when we do speak out and speak up, can we pause long enough to catch our breath and say a prayer for wisdom before we open our mouths or start posting? Do me and the rest of the world a favor. Before we start talking or before we click “send”, can we ask ourselves if what we are about to say or post is helpful or kind? Does it truly contribute positively to the situation or does it just fan the flames? May we please not be like the person I read about on Facebook who said, “I don’t think about what I say before I say it. I like to be just as surprised as everyone else by what comes out of my mouth!”
Be blessed and be a blessing… Brother Andy
