March 21, 2016

Innocence Clothed to Cast Doubt

16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

-- Proverbs 6:16-19

Yesterday our pastor concluded his series on “Six things God hates, but I’m good.” Basically, there are seven things here but, as he noted, the seventh relates to the other six.

We all probably know someone who is determined to stir things up. Not directly, of course. That would be too obvious. They remind me of the serpent who enticed Eve. Did God really say that? Did the pastor really say that? Did your neighbor really do that? Did your boss mean to pass you by?

Innocent questions cloaked in words meant to cause you doubt. Words that are meant to cause conflict. My counselor friend calls people like this “pot stirrers.” They seek to stir up dissension wherever they go.

I don’t think it’s always intentional. People sometimes just don’t think. They’re expressing a viewpoint or passing on information gleaned from another conversation. Pretty soon words get distorted and all kinds of controversy results.

I once worked with a man who was really good at this. He played his cards well. He came across as rather dumb, eager to please and a hard worker. In fact, he was smart in that conniving way. He played people well and wielded a fairly sharp knife in the back. It was quite interesting to watch him play people off of each other in order to promote himself.

Our pastor talked about dissension in churches. We’ve all seen that. People criticize the music, the order of the service, what is said or not said. Critics abound. Instead of stepping up and talking about a legitimate concern, we want others to cater to our preferences. It’s that pride thing that makes us think we know more than others.

Be wary of those in your life who have undercurrents within their seemingly innocent comments. And watch yourself as well. Don’t play people. Be honest. Be kind. Be straightforward in your words and actions. Love your neighbor as yourself. And love God above all else.