June 7, 2016

Don’t Be Gullible

Walk with the wise and become wise,
for a companion of fools suffers harm.

-- Proverbs 13:20

There was great concern for his safety. Not because of anything he might do but because, in the words of one close friend, he is gullible.

It is sad when someone who is trusting is in danger. And it is sad that we have to fear harm all around us. That is the world of today.

You’re probably telling yourself that you aren’t gullible. You’re probably saying you wouldn’t be fooled by anyone. You wouldn’t be deceived. And, yet, you would.

Do you believe everything you hear? It probably depends on the source, doesn’t it? Some people you instinctively trust. Sometimes it’s because you know them well and the past has proven them to be trustworthy and honest.

Other people you trust because they tell you what you want to hear. They agree with you. They go along with what you want to believe. Truth is irrelevant. It’s how conniving people earn your good graces. It’s how dishonest people take advantage of unsuspecting souls.

I’m a big advocate of actually reading the Bible for yourselves. If you ask, God will give you the wisdom you need to understand what He means. Sure. It’s good to listen to people you respect and to read devotionals and books. But nothing can replace what you hear directly from God.

Why am I so vocal about this? Because I’ve heard pastors “interpret” a passage of Scripture incorrectly. It always sounds good. But when you can’t find anyone else that agrees with that interpretation, it’s probably not correct.

The same is true of gossips. Just because someone says something, doesn’t make it true. If you want to know something, ask the person being talked about. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, it probably isn’t any of your business. So many people get involved in things that they shouldn’t be involved in. And, yes, we’ve probably all done that at some point.

Just like we’ve all probably had lies told about us. Sad, isn’t it? I’ll probably never understand how some people need to tear others down in order to feel good about themselves.

As much as we want to trust, test the truth by God’s Word. Also, read documents before you sign them. Look at the evidence. Make your own decisions and judgments.

People fool us all the time. Unfortunately, sometimes the greatest deceptions happen close to us. We can’t protect ourselves completely. But, with God’s help we can put on His armor and fight Satan’s attacks. We have no need to be gullible with God around to point out the truth.