June 17 Thought for the day...don't feed the animals

We all know the old adage "don't bite the hand that feeds you," referring to not bringing harm to those that are blessing you. Jesus says something a bit more radical than that!

Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Matthew 7:6

This sounds pretty harsh for Jesus to call people dogs and pigs, but let's see what He meant. First, we need to understand what is "holy." What the inference is, it means those things God has either given to you or done in you that have made you what you are. The life lessons the Lord has brought you through, the wisdom you have gained through triumph and tragedy, and the many insights you have gained through overcoming and conquering. It is also the specific gifts of the Spirit the Lord has given and the power and authority He has entrusted to you!

We are to treat all of these things as holy because they have been hard fought or they are direct blessings from God. We should never look down on the things the Lord has invested in us or given to us!

Who are the dogs? The dogs referred to here are a mangy, wild animal. They roam outside the walls of the city through the garbage looking for food. The will try through trickery to get in the walls into people's gardens or homes to get better food. These represent the people who float from church to church, never submitting to authority, never wanting to mature but always making excuses for their behavior. They try to worm their way into favor with leadership only because of their pride, not the love of the people. They have no desire but to feed themselves.

We need to be wise when we are investing our time, talent, and treasure into people. Watch them to see if they are someone who truly is hungry for the things of God or who really just wants to feast on whatever they can steal from others or are satisfied with garbage.

You have been given and have earned many special gifts from the Lord don't waste them on people who will not value them or you! Invest them in people that want to grow and are hungry to change and hungry to become who God wants them to be