Proverbs 18:2—“A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.”
Man’s perceptions are often not in line with God’s intentions. Had Jesus chosen to heed the opinions of his key men, the dynamic dozen when they:
¨ Said—“Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
--There wouldn’t have been a miraculous feeding of the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes.
¨ Rebuked the people who brought children to see the Lord.
--We would have missed the lesson that God loves little children and doesn’t want them hindered from coming to Him because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them and those like them.
¨ Became indignant because a woman poured expensive perfume on Jesus head. “Why this waste? This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
—We would have lost the truth that God delights in special acts of sacrifice meant to honor Him.
Those who are leaders especially need to be careful before expressing opinions. It is too easy for those in positions of responsibility to become enamored with their own authority and to make recommendations without going to God first for His advice. Remember when Jesus explained to His disciples that He must go to
We can gain valuable insight from Jesus’ response to Peter. “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mat.16:23). Those words may seem overly harsh but they were uttered for a purpose--to illustrate how quickly one with good intentions can subvert God’s plan!
Words make a difference. Choose them wisely. Use them judiciously for the glory of God. Something to think about . . . in
Inspiration
