a gift to give every day…

we have eaten the turkey been to the parade and now it is the celebration of giving.  but wisdom says there is something that we are to give every day.  james 3.17 (msg), real wisdom, GOD’s wisdom….is overflowing with mercy and blessings.

we are testing ourselves here on the porch at whether we are wise or not and we are asking ourselves some questions.  here is today’s.  do you minimize other’s mistakes?  if you do then you are wise. 

do you ever let people go or do you keep hounding their past mistakes?  do you never set them free even if they have asked for forgiveness?  “remember the time you did…”  you’re always holding on and bringing up the past for leverage.  that’s dumb.  if i’m wise, i won’t emphasize your mistakes.  i’ll be full of mercy.  i’ll give you what you need, not what you deserve.

there were these two guys at a convention with their wives. they hadn't seen each other for a long time so they sat in the lobby all night talking.  now they knew they would be in trouble with their wives but they just kept on talking.  finally they went back to their rooms.

the next morning they happened to see each other and the one asked, “what did your wife think?”  the other guy said, “well when i walked in the room my wife got all historical.”  don’t you mean hysterical.”  no historical.  she told me everything that i had ever done wrong. 

do you do that?  proverbs 17.9 (tlb) says, love forgets mistakes.  nagging about them parts even the best of friends. 

rick warren say, “you dom’t rub it in, you rub it out.”  listen, if i stumble and make a mistake, i don’t need you to judge me, i need you to encourage me.

what about when you’re home and somebody forgets something – forgets to fill the car with gas and you run out on the freeway, somebody forgets to bring the mail in, how do you handle that?  do you rub it in or do you rub it out? 

wisdom….is overflowing with mercy and blessings. blessings is kind actions, it’s something you do.  you don’t just show sympathy, you don’t just say, “i feel for you… you brought it on yourself.”  you do something about it.  you take action, it’s a kindness.  it’s being a doer of the word.  james 2.13 (msg), kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. don’t judge.

if i’m wise i won’t point out your mistakes.

just a thought from the front porch…