Skip to main content

Trying to Be Too Nice

Proverbs 28:23

"He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue."

All the work I put in to make sure I'm not stepping on anyone's toes, and trying not to be judgmental (which of course, I still shouldn't be), it's good to hear from God that it's ok to correct at times.  And correcting others is not always bad.

We live in a day where inclusiveness and acceptance is the only approved stance, but not all things are acceptable.  And who gets to draw that line, anyway?  Those who consider themselves repressed or marginalized?  Those who consider themselves persecuted?

No, I don't have to be accepted or approved by you.  I know I am approved by God.  And only God can judge and will judge the deeds of the righteous and the wicked.  I'm not to be downright confrontational, but I don't have to be a suck-up either.  My Savior never was.  He was strong and gentle.  He was caring and He corrected.  He stood for truth and was relentless and ruthless against deceit and wickedness.  He gave His life in sacrifice and in certainty that His cause was worth it.  And He was not deterred from His mission.

I don't recommend getting into arguments with others thinking you are "correcting" them.  Allow the Holy Spirit to gently prod your heart for times when speaking truth to someone who is willing to receive it, will be welcomed.  And you don't have to go out of your way to flatter your neighbor so they will approve of you and believe you are a nice person.  It's unnecessary.  You are approved by God.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Real Friends

With all these social networking sites popping up all over the place, its fun to peruse the sites to meet new people and connect with old ones.   We enjoy looking at each other’s pictures, videos, and chatting.   We stay in touch and we reach out to our “Friends.”   I get the idea Facebook had with the whole “friends” craze, though I’m certain they’ve used the term quite loosely. I must apologize before proceeding because I, on the other hand, am quite frugal with the term. FB friends send you a link …real friends take you there. FB friends review your pics…real friends are in them with you. FB friends write on your wall…real friends write on your heart. FB friends respond to your posts…real friends respond to your cries. FB friends start drama on your page…real friends talk it out behind closed doors FB friends only tell you what they like…real friends will tell you what they don’t like FB friends want to know WHAT you’re doing…real friends want to know HOW you’re doin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Are you a Leader or a Follower?

Being a leader seems to come with its own level of power and prestige.   A leader is thought to be strong, courageous, bold, powerful and full of vision – after all, he is supposed to be leading us somewhere.   A follower, though the term lacks the same glitz and glam as leader, is ever so necessary as well.   How ever could a man lead, if there is no one to follow him?   Each position carries its own weight.   It doesn’t matter whether you lead or follow – it matters “how” and it definitely matters “who”.   As a leader, the people who follow you are your responsibility.   Their life is being influenced by you directly.   They are looking to you for guidance and what you deposit in them will be absorbed.   Parents are leaders by definition because they have direct influence over your children; teachers over their students; Pastors over their congregations; and some friends over other friends – a leader can emerge anywhere.   A leader mu...
Post a Comment
Read more

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love

I need to be reminded of how much God truly loves me.   We all have a generic sense that God loves us.   We’ve heard the song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”   Even with knowing how much God loves me, I still struggle with understanding how that love for me plays out in my life.   God doesn’t love the way we love.   His love is beyond what we even consider.   His love is so specific, so precise and so definite.   Some days, when I’m being nice to my family and I’ve paid my tithes, or given money to someone less fortunate – I feel loved by God.   At least, I may feel more lovable because I’m doing things that God would approve of.   There are many other times when I don’t feel so wonderful.   I may have snapped at a friend or said I couldn’t help out with something when I know I could’ve.   There are times when I am in direct violation of the will of God for my life.   Those times I feel awful. ...
Post a Comment
Read more