Proverbs Chapter 17

It's SO late. I'm going to review a couple of verses that stuck out to me and hit the hay (or is it the sack.....sack of hay?)

5:
"Those who mock the poor insult their maker..."
On the middle school retreat I went on last weekend, one of the kids talked alot about how God's creation is frowned upon and put down. It saddened his heart to see beautiful people teased and hurt. God created us in his image and all are loved by their creator. Another verse that I think fits in here is verse 15 which says:

"Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- Both are detestable to the Lord.
I think that we as christians are so judgemental, not taking a minute to understand where someone is in their life and without factoring in that it's harder to do right without the Lord in you. We read so much that the knowledge of good and evil comes from the Lord, so if someone does wrong and doesn't have God, shouldn't we be merciful and forgiving to God's creations? These are the people we are reaching our hands to, for Jesus did not judge the sinners, but taught them of living water at a well where they were cast out, and invited them to dinner where they were hated, and in doing so, blessed them, showed them love, and brought them to salvation, giving them a new found knowledge of good and evil and a discernment to do good. So instead of judging the evil and condemning them for their sins, we should show them God's love, and they will be transformed not by our words and actions, but by the hands of their creator!

27:
"A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even tempered."
We can talk the talk but can we walk the walk? That's the question here. When we have such a God driven life that we are reaching people before we speak about it, we are doing it right. Actions speak louder than words. So should it be with our faith. Our acts of kindness and faith, as well as our fruits of the spirit, will be the first thing anyone sees when they see you, so they should be our ministry. Non-believers that frown upon God and the church, are tired of hearing they're going to hell, they're tired of hearing about the amazing things that will happen. They want to SEE amazing things happen. they want to see what it looks like to be posessed by the Holy Spirit. They want to see the pure joy and happiness that comes with a heart filled with God. And when they do, they will not be able to resist. And when they can't resist they will come to you and have questions of why you are how you are, and you know what you do then? Speak.
That is the time to speak. I am not saying that it is wrong to approach someone about God, or inform them of the error in their ways, to try and save them, but in all interactions with non-believers you must act with care and gentleness as the Lord did with the tax collectors and prostitutes. It worked pretty well for him I'd say. If we can bring 1% of the people Jesus saved to Christ with the gentle apporach he used, we have had a succesfull ministry, we will have blessed and saved someone who was lost, and we will find favor in our creators eyes. Good night!

-Evan