In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus made an interesting statement in Matthew 7:6 [RSV] when He stated, "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Jesus did not just make this statement out of thin air. He made it in context of exercising and using proper judgment.
So how is one to determine if one is casting pearls before dogs and pigs? Well, when you hear the snort of scoffing that is against your message, you are dealing with a pig! And if you hear the snarling after giving your message, you are dealing with a dog!
When you see a lack of interest in your time and spiritual truths you have to offer, you know you are dealing with swine and dogs. Jesus advised us in Matthew 7:16 [RSV], “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?”
If we turn to God in prayer and ask Him to grant us wisdom and discernment in these matters, we need to trust that He will do so. We are urged to ask God for wisdom in these and other matters. James, the Lord’s brother, writes in James 1:5-8 [NRS],
5. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, Who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7. for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, 8. must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
We must realize that sometimes the right thing to do is to say, “No.” A good steward learns when those times are.
May the Lord bless us all and give us the wisdom and courage to give not what is holy to the dogs and to cast not our pearls before swine!
So how is one to determine if one is casting pearls before dogs and pigs? Well, when you hear the snort of scoffing that is against your message, you are dealing with a pig! And if you hear the snarling after giving your message, you are dealing with a dog!
When you see a lack of interest in your time and spiritual truths you have to offer, you know you are dealing with swine and dogs. Jesus advised us in Matthew 7:16 [RSV], “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?”
If we turn to God in prayer and ask Him to grant us wisdom and discernment in these matters, we need to trust that He will do so. We are urged to ask God for wisdom in these and other matters. James, the Lord’s brother, writes in James 1:5-8 [NRS],
5. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, Who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7. for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, 8. must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
We must realize that sometimes the right thing to do is to say, “No.” A good steward learns when those times are.
May the Lord bless us all and give us the wisdom and courage to give not what is holy to the dogs and to cast not our pearls before swine!
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