Words from the Rock
Don’t give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don’t throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.
Matthew 7:6 CEV
The translation of the Greek for this Scripture is basically, “Don’t give the sacred to the dogs.” That might not make much sense in itself, at least in our culture. But in Jesus’s time, dogs and pigs were pretty low on the animal importance scale. Dogs were more like scavengers than pets. And pigs were considered “unclean”—not an animal a Jewish person would own. So what is Jesus saying?
I think he’s warning us to protect our hearts by not going around and telling anyone and everyone about what God is doing in our lives. Sure, there are times when God wants you to share your faith with others—and often he’ll make it clear when it’s the right time. But there are other times when you might be tempted to tell someone (a person who couldn’t care less about God or faith or even you) about something important and miraculous that God is doing in your life. And that person might, in effect, spit on what you’re saying. He might argue with you or put down God. And, in the end, not only does it make you feel sad, but it’s also useless since the person obviously doesn’t get it. It’s like taking a diamond ring and flushing it down the toilet. Pointless and wasteful.
God wants you to value what he’s doing in your heart and in your life. He wants you to treat his words and his work in you as something precious and wonderful—and not to toss them around lightly.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I know you’re at work in me. You’re doing some amazing things in my heart. Give me the wisdom to know when it’s best to keep these things to myself and when it’s okay to tell others.
Amen.
Final Word
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet.
Ephesians 6:13 Message
Stone for the Journey
I will treasure God’s work in my life so much that I won’t flippantly show off my spirituality to others.