Sometimes you have one of those moments where God just says: “Do you get it?” I had one this morning. A friend came into my private cycle class at the gym and spoke this Proverb to me.
I know sometimes we see scripture in a blog and pass it over. I know because I do that too. But please take a second to read it. When you finish I have a question for you.
“Proverbs 9:7
He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
10 The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
So why do we as Followers of Christ try to correct scoffers? It tells us right here in Proverbs not to do that. In fact it warns if you do they will hate you. So again, why do we try to shove our beliefs on others?
I passed a church the other day and saw a reader board outside (I have trouble with reader boards in front of churches but that’s another blog) and on it was written, “you are loved.”
I thought to myself, I bet anyone outside the church would look at that and laugh. A lot of non-followers look at followers of Christ and say we are against more than we are in favor of. They think of us as haters. I wonder if our failure to read, listen and do what Proverbs 9:7-10 says to do, might be some of the reason why.
