ONE STORY IS GOOD till the other is told.
“He who states his case first seems right, until his rival comes and cross-examines him.” Proverbs 18:17
It is not proper to be hasty in forming a judgment till the other side is heard. One-sided statements are not reliable. Shame on me! I know better, but I fell into the trap AGAIN of believing someone who I thought was reliable. I know better. I learned years ago to not believe a one-sided story.
When my kids were in elementary school I heard a negative conversation about another PTA member. At first, I avoided her but then I got to know her and I found that I really liked her. I thought the person telling me about her was a nice person, but it turns out they were harboring an offense. It took a couple of years for the truth to come out, but God will always reveal true character. Shame on me!
Here’s the lesson: get to know someone for yourself. Take them out for coffee and ask questions, get to know them. Just because someone else doesn’t like them, doesn’t mean you have to not like them as well. I have learned that for some reason or another, the person who does not like them has an offense. You may not be able to tell because some people are really good at hiding an offense with lying lips and a flattering smile.
Offended people love to share their offense. Read that again. Offended people LOVE to share their offense- publicly on social media, publicly to their “prayer group”, or privately to you. All it takes is one off-putting, down-grading, offended word to plant a seed of distrust. Do not play that game! Get to know someone for yourself. If you’re that concerned, ask one of their friends what they love about that person, but don’t just take one bad story about them to heart.
And if you are the one harboring an offense and speaking poorly about a person, you need to check your heart and repent. Offense is a choice. Those seeds you are sowing with your offended words are seeds of destruction and confusion. You will reap what you are sowing. Zip your lips until you repent and forgive. Shame on you.
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
