False Judgements can Lead to Embarassment!

If you have ever been wrongly judged you will be able to understand this frustrating dilemma. When family members or close friends observe something you said or did interpreting it the way they wish to believe about you, without coming to you to discuss it, while treating you disrespectfully because of what they have convinced themselves about you, you are left feeling frustrated, not knowing why they have been treating you with contempt. 

When you go to the person to clear things up by asking; "is something wrong", they glibly respond by saying, even in a rude manner, "nothing is wrong", you know they do not want to clear it up, they like what they believe. 

The only recourse is to pray for them and keep your distance until the Lord makes it clear you are to have contact with them. We must keep in mind that we are not called to be friends with everyone, but we are called to treat everyone respectfully no matter how they treat us. 

However, we are free to remove ourselves from people who enjoy their false beliefs about us. May the Lord give us great discernment in all our relationships so that we can honor God in every circumstance.

Read the story in the link and see how embarrassing it can be to wrongly judge another person's actions when all the facts are not available. 

https://www.lwf.org/daily-devotions/are-you-judging-in-ignorance?fbclid=IwAR3Z7xnrGfSD6OrpUcxARAj416HzYSyW9dxW6HcbRcVdBSp51YO-GOyUsm4

Solomon was Wise Because He Learned from His Failures

Solomon saw at the end of his life that everything he chased after was "chasing after the wind", in other words it was to his credit that he realized at the end of his life looking back he could see how silly he was, this is wisdom.

I know many people who do not admit they needed to learn anything. They are as foolish at the end of their lives believing they had a great life without mistakes and sins.

A wise person looks back and sees how much they failed and what they learned from it. A foolish man looks back and convinces themself he did everything right and would do it all over again.

Ecclesiastes 1:17

"So I set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 2:11

"Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun."

Ecclesiastes 2:17

"So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 2:26

"To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 4:4

"I saw that all labor and success spring from a man's envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 4:16

"There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

Ecclesiastes 6:9

"Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind."

It is the wise person who can look back and admit their failures and glory in the lessons that God brought. Our failures cannot teach us if we cannot admit they were failures.

Seek the Lord and Those Who Obey Him

Proverbs 14:12
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."

Proverbs 21:2
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart."

It is possible to do good deeds and still be in disobedience to God. If our deeds are done to elevate ourselves without regard to God's will, then we have had our own way, without the wisdom of God and could even do harm by the good deed.

 
When we live in obedience to God we are continually consulting Him. Those who are full of self often think everything that they concoct is right without regard to all the peripheral extenuating circumstances. A wise man plans the details as God directs their path.

 
All the times I tried to do things my own way without consulting God I had problems. Then when I could not fix the problems that arose I would consult God, having to return to the drawing board with God's guidance the problem was resolved, but sometimes with consequences I would not have had if I had consulted God first.
It is foolish for any human being to believe they know all the answers all by themselves without God or even without the input of other wise people.

 
Proverbs 12:15
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."
It also matters who we listen to, if we listen to wise people we will become wiser, if we listen to foolish people we will regress and make far more mistakes and sins.
Proverbs 19:19-21 "…19 A man of great anger must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do so again. 20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days. 21 Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.…"

Special Guest: Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan: The Rapture: Fact or Fiction? - 4-25-21 Begin at 25 Minutes

Solomon's Wisdom came when He Looked Back

Solomon did not become truly wise until the end of his life when he looked back he saw all his doings as worthless.

He was very knowledgeable about many things but the wisdom did not come until after he had seen where all his foolishness led. He said this:

"Ecclesiastes 1:14

14 "I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind."

For those who are striving after status, wealth and notoriety, you may not see it now as you glory in all the accolades and pressure to perform, but one day when you lose the status and accolades you will find yourself empty and lonely.

All those people who loved you for what you could give them have disappeared. All that praise is now gone and all that is left is a frail old body without wisdom or purpose, there will be an emptiness greater than anything you ever thought was possible.

The final moments of death will bring such void it will be unbearable. UNLESS you trust in Christ before you leave this side of eternity. It is only in trusting in Jesus Christ that you will find purpose.

Those who have trusted Christ are not burdened with competitiveness and striving after superiority, they are at peace and joyful just being what God has made them, the new creation. They have lost all desire to impress others or achieve worldly accomplishments for the purpose of praise from others.

John 12:42-44 "42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. 44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.…"

Grow in holiness desiring to become what Christ meant for you to become and you will never be lonely, nor will you ever need the praise of men.

Hallelujah!!!!

They Ask What is Wrong but they don't Want to Hear

A narcissist will ask you what is wrong when you are troubled and then explode on you because you told them. Remember they don't really want to know if it has anything to do with them.

Ecclesiastes 10:13

"The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness."

Tell your troubles to God He wants to hear and already knows.

A narcissist is not interested in your troubles they only want to appear as though they care, but really they just want the information to be able to further abuse you.

It is my belief that narcissists ask "what is wrong" knowing already what they did to upset you. They love to fight and judge others as bad, it makes them feel stronger, it feeds them.

Pray before you speak to a narcissist, allow the Holy Spirit to speak from you, if the narcissist rejects what He said then they will be responsible to Him.

We are living in very difficult times. Many people will display narcissistic tendencies, even an entire culture will operate from this devilish trait.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 describes them and then gives some instruction about how to deal with it.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 "Difficult (ragingly insane) Times Will Come

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

This passage in 2 Timothy is describing the end times church. These people will claim to be Christians but care nothing about God or His Word.

2 Timothy 4:2-5 "2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.

3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

5 But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

This narcissistic culture is more concerned about appearing special and feeling good about themselves. They will be offended at any suggestion that they have been sinful. They will rage against challenges to self-reflect rather than taking the opportunity to grow in holiness, they will regress into unbridled selfishness, punishing anyone who calls them out on their sin.

This is why I encourage believers to speak the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit, the reaction of the hearer is on them. However, we ought to be in tune with the Holy Spirit so that we do not react in anger to the narcissist who is working to cause anger in us.

It is a tactic of the devil to ruin our peace by agitating us to the point of frustration. If you make a mistake in answering back in anger, confess it to God and go on to do better next time. These devilish narcissists are "ragingly angry", it emerges whenever someone tells them the truth about their actions or attitudes.

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

Why would we need "longsuffering" while reproving, rebuking, and exhorting? Its quite simple, we will be punished, mocked, and excluded by Christians for our effort to bring them back to obedience and right thinking.

Remain steadfast, joyful and resolute in obedience to God and we will at some point see the fruit of our obedience.