A co-worker of mine who works in the IT department sends out thoughts to a select few of us. Today’s thought made me think about how I sometimes try to control my friends...but also how much I have stopped trying to do that as an adult.
Proverbs 29:25 the fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in the Lord is secure
Yesterday’s lesson was more of a positive take on not allowing the fear of others to impact your decision making. Today, I will dig a little deeper into one the snares that the “fear of man produces’”... wrong agreements. The first thing we need to understand that we all seek and desire acceptance. I believe God placed that desire in us. In order to maintain acceptance we form alliances (or friendships) with others. Often those alliances grow and become clichés, and those clichés slowly begin to require obligations. In all actuality there’s nothing terribly wrong with that. The problem starts when we examine some of the fruit that clichés can produce.
There’s an age old principle used to control others. It’s in operation in religion, politics, race, age, gender, and nationality, and can be summed up in two words; “Us” & “Them”. It’s always intrigued me because it’s in our nature to not want to be one of “Them”. We all want to be loved and accepted. In order to avoid becoming one of “them” we sometimes find ourselves agreeing with statements or accepting mindsets that our hearts know are wrong. Then we feel convicted by those words (wanna guess who’s doing the convicting?). Little did we know that those words would prove to be a snare!
OK; example time. Let’s say you start to form a friendship outside of your normal circle. Now someone in that circle doesn’t necessarily like it. Then comes one of the three methods we use to control people, manipulation (I saw you with so and so. Everyone is talking about it!), Intimidation (We wanted to invite you, but thought that you’d rather spend time with so and so), or domination (Look; you’re both so and so’s friend or ours!). Poor so and so!
You see example after example of Jesus being criticized for healing sinners & lepers, preaching on the Sabbath, forgiving an adulteress. The list goes on. By the way; He never even ministered in the temple. If you study the bible at all you know that it was the chief priest and scribes that leveled accusation after accusation against him. They tempted, tested, and openly accused Him. What always amazed me about this situation was the reasoning for their accusations. He didn’t play be their rules. He had the audacity to obey God, and they refused to believe that God would operate outside of “their” authority. In their eyes the “King of Glory” was one of “them”.
I think we’ve never truly understood that every relationship in our lives is producing or reproducing something. What comes out of your mouth in the midst of your conversations says a lot about what’s being produced (Amos3:3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?). What’s more; if you chose to follow God, I’ll guarantee you that he’s going to send people your way that those around you will question. But know this. God doesn’t want to break up your circle. He wants to raise you above it, so that when others look up to you, they’ll see him. That’ll never happen though if you fear the disdain of others, if you allow people to use manipulation, intimidation, or domination to influence your decisions, and if you refuse to step out of your comfort zone.
Oh, by the way. God will show you who your real friends are if you ask Him.
~Eric Fields
No comments:
Post a Comment