Be Careful Little Ears

Reading: Acts 6

"And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council." Acts 6:12-13

Examination:

The false witnesses were not necessarily outright liars. Stephen had probably said the things they accused him of; however, they misrepresented the intentions and context of his statements. Those who followed along with them thought they were hearing and following the truth. This scenario is a primary strategy of our enemy.

Application:

There was song we sang at church when I has a child and one of the verses encouraged my little ears to be careful of what they hear. That song and the depth of its truth has come rushing back to me this morning.

Avoiding deception is tricky business for it is easy to get caught up in the moment. I have to be careful in not allowing what I hear from others to move me to a place where I am working against the movement of God. I see a couple of things that I must remember to avoid being caught up in deception.

First, I must hear what is being said for myself. "I heard that they..." "They are going to ..." "They told me..." Those three simple phrases can stir the pot in a matter of seconds. Like a matches in a dry field they are little sparks which create huge problems. The best thing for me to do in these events is return to the source and hear from them myself.

Second, I need to take time to seek God. My initial reaction to what I hear may not be right. A cool off period to pray and think is mandatory. The greatest weapon against deception is a slow response. Deceivers rely on speed. I must slow the process down and get before God prior to engaging in conflict. As God affirms my direction I need to proceed prayerfully.

Prayer:

The persecution of the early Church, the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide represent the absolute darkest sides of deceptive crowds. Broken relationships, tarnished reputations, and isolated people are the more acceptable results of this same sinful group.

I really do not fear being victimized by a deceptive crowd as much as I fear being swept up in it and joining them in fighting against Your work. I pray today that You teach me to maintain control of my thoughts and emotions. As people bring things to my attention help me respond with only Your wisdom and Spirit.