Tiny Devotional for Wednesday, 05-24-2023

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, pray for Guam and  those in the Philippines; Super Typhoon Mawar is active.

The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Proverbs 24:9 NASB


Perhaps our ancestors knew the precise meaning of these words due to frequent use, but when was the last time you wrote the word ‘folly’ in an email? Ever tweet it? Not I!

Implementing perhaps-useful translation tools, I find a biblical alternative: insanity. The best definition I have for that is: believing something is true, when it isn’t, OR believing something isn’t true, when it is. 

The person who keeps on doing the same thing, and expecting different results? Insane! Because, if you keep on doing what you are doing, you will keep on getting what you are getting. 

If the repeated act ONLY affected the actor, then we might excuse it as harmless silliness: “There he goes again!” or “That’s just Bill!”

Unfortunately, it’s NEVER ‘just Bill,’ because Bill’s insanity never AFFECTS ‘just Bill.’  At the very least, someone notices it; usually, though, it directly impedes the rights or responsibilities of someone else. And THAT’S the point at which a behavior transitions from ‘silly’ to ‘sinful.’

Our common journey is to become perfect, as our Father in Heaven is perfect; as is elsewhere explained, this means we are to be perfect in love. I  think this process of perfection is hindered when we have to deal with others’ insanity. 

Do we REALLY want to be guilty of hindering others on their journey? I think not!

So, PLEASE PAY ATTENTION: 

If you have discovered that your behavior produces conflict, 

STOP IT!

Peace be on your household.

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