Proverbs 27:5-6 True Motives
The motives behind what we do is as important, if not more, than our actual acts. True motives speak of our heart’s intent, not ‘play acting’ or deceit.
It’s hard for me to imagine hiding my love from anyone. People usually know if they are on that ‘list’ in my life. My family was always open about sharing our bigger feelings. Hugs were frequent and our words most often reflected what was in our hearts.
I can’t say ALL our words were loving and kind to one another, but we KNEW that if one of us was in trouble, the others would do whatever it took to help solve that problem. As my mom said on several occasions regarding me and my eldest brother, “You and your brother may fight with one another but no one else better touch either of you if they know what’s good for them.” One would fight like a wildcat to protect the other, and fight like wildcats with one another. There really was love there and we knew it. Yet it wasn’t the only emotion expressed in our relationship.
I’m being distracted today by an incessantly barking dog; mine! She has a new Wiggle Wag Giggle ball and is thoroughly enjoying it. She keeps batting it into places she wants me to rescue it from. So, I’m feeling a bit thick headed with our text. To deal with this, I’ve turned again to my bible helps. Praise God they saw fit to include such a thing!
From what I gather from my bible helps, both these verses speak of saying the hard things that need to be said in order to interrupt a march towards disaster. To do otherwise would be inviting disaster for another person or letting them walk blindly into a pit.
Who is this friend? And who is he reaching out to? When thinking over these questions, I started to talk about Jesus’ parable of the “Good Samaritan”. I was called away in the middle of the thought to help my husband and THAT’S when the Spirit directed me to a different answer.
This answer involves Jesus’ whole ministry. It especially deals with how He openly rebuked the Pharisees and sometimes even His own disciples. Jesus cared enough about their eternal soul to say the hard things. I imagine when He rebuked Peter with; “Get thee behind me Satan” it stung like a slap in the face. Though to have done otherwise would have been hiding His love. Peter needed to be brought up short so he could think about the direction he was planning to take. He was ready to take on the world with his fists to keep Jesus safe. But that wasn’t God’s plan.
Jesus also showed Peter His love with more open rebukes during the night He was taken. When Peter again swore his allegiance unto death, when he, James and John were caught napping while Jesus prayed, and when Peter cut off the ear of one of the men coming after Him. Jesus loved him through all these events. The first rebuke of that night would be the one that would haunt Peter; or it would me.
Whenever Jesus confronted the Pharisees with an open rebuke, He was STILL showing love. He KEPT reaching out to them, even when they batted away His every attempt. They never saw that there was love behind the words. A few of them would get it but most chose to remain blind to His love.
The family member I was talking about the last time we met has come to my mind again. He is still continuing on his ‘pity party’. The event he was fighting so hard against has happened in spite of all his efforts to stop it. He has called his ‘favorite sounding board’ twice today. She refused to answer the second time. When she didn’t answer he texted instead. She called me “to let me know” and to ask for advice. We agreed that she should call back or he would then have another “nobody loves me” song to add to his list.
I truly wish I had read our text AND had the Holy Spirit speak BEFORE our conversation. I don’t know if she would have gone through with what I now feel the Spirit saying. I would have told her to give him and open rebuke in order to save him from himself. True love would give him that open rebuke. It would speak strong enough to inflict wounds that would force him to take a look at where he is going and what he is doing. It would brin pain with a promise of healing.
Actually, I think she did give him a rebuke. She told him plainly that he needed to get back into God’s word and start applying it to his life. She reports she did that several times and he finally ended the first phone call. Please join me in praying that her message gets through to him.
Father God, thank You for ALWAYS meeting me when I come to You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, Who speaks Your truths in a way my mind can comprehend and absorb. There is SO MUCH wisdom hidden in Your word! I will never be able to dig it ALL out. Keep teaching me Holy Spirit! I want to be more like Jesus every day.
For my family member, I don’t even know what to ask for him. I suppose the main thing I ask is that You grab hold of him and insist that he take a good look at his own life. Where it has been going for SO long and where it will go if he doesn’t change something right away. Lift the despair and replace it with a commitment to repair all the damage he has left in his wake.
Help the memories of the pain fade when dealing with him. Do a MIGHTY work in my husband’s heart and remove the bitterness that has grown in him over the years regarding this person. Bring to his mind good memories when he looks back instead of all the bad ones. For me too Father!
