As I look at this ever-changing world, here’s a thought tucked away for my young boys to be delivered when they’re ready:
One of the worst things you can do is drag your feet in doing right. If you see your sister being attacked, act. If you observe an old lady in a dangerous situation, engage. If grievous sin rears its ugly head in your life or in the lives of those you love, confront it directly with love and truth.
But there is another truth to keep in your pocket along with the first. That is the need to withhold judgment in many cases. There will be a number of times in life where you’ll want to be quick to judge. I’ve found this pesky problem far too often in myself. The problem is that the situation looks like a no-brainer and I forget my eyes don’t always see right. The trouble is I see facts on the table but it escapes me that there are other pertinent facts not found on the table.
Very often, if not nearly always, you will be put in the quite difficult position of having to make a decision with your finite judgment and half the facts. Pray for wisdom that you might know when this is truly the case and when it is not.
Keep in mind that murder, theft, and greed are not the only sins out there. People also have a terrible time with telling the truth. So keep to the wisdom of the wise one, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). Follow the Old and New Testament principle about the necessity of multiple witnesses to establish charges (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Timothy 5:9).
There is a great difference between someone saying something is true and it being so. There is a significant difference between a charge or accusation and a decision rendered by a duly established authority. Don’t go laying down your sword in the good fight or expecting others to simply because of an allegation.
Man has erred on both sides of this street. Some have drug their feet and others have jumped to conclusions. With recent advancements in social media, it appears to me the spirit of the age is not the former error but the latter. Remember you are not God. Humble yourself and ask for His wisdom. Think long and hard about truth and don’t think so long and hard about foolish ramblings.
