The uncommon sense
Reading: Luke 16:1-8
“Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Mt 10:16)
Have you anytime prayed, “Lord, make me like a snake?” No wonder we are senseless. Anybody can abuse the dove and wring its head off. It will die without fighting back, without even a squeak of protest. That’s why it is called the foolish dove (Hos 7:11). Does God want us to be like that? The snake is very harmful as we know. God tells us to lay down the foolishness of the dove and harmfulness of the snake and learn their innocense and shrewd-ness. God expects us to be a dove-snake combination. A Christian must be half dove and half snake. That’s exactly what Jesus was. He did not commit Himself to the people because He knew them (Jn 2:23,24). A little suspicion in anything is always safe.
Both these sides must go to make a Christian — Innocense and Wisdom. God is a very gentle mother and a strict disciplinarian Father. The Holy Spirit is cool waters and consuming fire. Jesus is lamb and lion. He said, “I am gentle and lowly,” but took the whip and thrashed the wicked. God has created us in His image and we too must possess these characteristics. We find the saints possessing both. We know Job as a soft-spoken gentleman. But he broke the jaws of the wicked (Job 29:17). We have become muscleless, anaemic Christians, too weak, plain doves.
The foolish virgins might have charged, “You are not friendly with us.” The wise would have replied, “Sure, we want to be friends with you, but only thus far. We cannot risk the wedding supper for our friendship. Don’t cross the boundary. We cannot be friends with you to the point of losing the wedding celebration.”
Assertiveness is claiming our rights or refusing to give up our rights; or not allowing anyone to abuse us. God is a very assertive person. He tells the waves, “Thus far you may come and no further; here is where your proud waves halt” (Job 38:10,11). He drew the line for the waves and fixed the limits. Draw the line for your husband, friend, boss, subordinate, child, parent, neighbour, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law or anybody.
In the Old Testament one man who had hundred sheep took away his neighbor’s one sheep. God did not say, “You give it up.” He was terribly angry with the rich man.
“Lord, make us shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.”
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
The uncommon sense
Reading: Luke 16:1-8
“Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Mt 10:16)
Have you anytime prayed, “Lord, make me like a snake?” No wonder we are senseless. Anybody can abuse the dove and wring its head off. It will die without fighting back, without even a squeak of protest. That’s why it is called the foolish dove (Hos 7:11). Does God want us to be like that? The snake is very harmful as we know. God tells us to lay down the foolishness of the dove and harmfulness of the snake and learn their innocense and shrewd-ness. God expects us to be a dove-snake combination. A Christian must be half dove and half snake. That’s exactly what Jesus was. He did not commit Himself to the people because He knew them (Jn 2:23,24). A little suspicion in anything is always safe.
Both these sides must go to make a Christian — Innocense and Wisdom. God is a very gentle mother and a strict disciplinarian Father. The Holy Spirit is cool waters and consuming fire. Jesus is lamb and lion. He said, “I am gentle and lowly,” but took the whip and thrashed the wicked. God has created us in His image and we too must possess these characteristics. We find the saints possessing both. We know Job as a soft-spoken gentleman. But he broke the jaws of the wicked (Job 29:17). We have become muscleless, anaemic Christians, too weak, plain doves.
The foolish virgins might have charged, “You are not friendly with us.” The wise would have replied, “Sure, we want to be friends with you, but only thus far. We cannot risk the wedding supper for our friendship. Don’t cross the boundary. We cannot be friends with you to the point of losing the wedding celebration.”
Assertiveness is claiming our rights or refusing to give up our rights; or not allowing anyone to abuse us. God is a very assertive person. He tells the waves, “Thus far you may come and no further; here is where your proud waves halt” (Job 38:10,11). He drew the line for the waves and fixed the limits. Draw the line for your husband, friend, boss, subordinate, child, parent, neighbour, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law or anybody.
In the Old Testament one man who had hundred sheep took away his neighbor’s one sheep. God did not say, “You give it up.” He was terribly angry with the rich man.
“Lord, make us shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves.”
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
