My hubs is a wise man. Beyond his ability to participate in Jeopardy with the best of them and win at just about every trivia game there is, he has great words of wisdom for me when I need them most. Here are a few:
Two hurts don't make a right.
Never form an opinion/assumption/judgment until you have heard from all parties involved. (He is still a cop at heart I guess)
Your own business keeps you busy enough so stay out of everyone elses.
Do your job, do it well, and don't worry about what others are or are not doing.
...And my recent all time favorite is never be a sheep or a wolf.
Let me explain because I know if you are familiar with the parable in God's word, you would prefer to be a sheep rather a goat. Actually, I will give credit where credit is due- He actually learned this profound statement from Chris Kyle's father (American Sniper). Actually I believe Chris' father learned it from a veteran named Grossman. The moral of the story goes like this. There are three kinds of people in this world: "wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs." Grossman's metaphor was to issue a call to action to defend yourself against your enemies. "If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen: a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath- a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for you fellow citizens? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path." Hence the advice..."Never be a sheep or a wolf!"
This profound military statement reminded me of Matthew10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Dove- harmlessness and innocence
Serpent-wisdom and cunning
The take home message is that the Lord wants us to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. That is, we adapt the cunning of the serpent, but not to the extent that we trick, deceive, harm, injure, and we adapt the gentleness and innocence of the dove but not to the extent that we cannot teach, rebuke, or stand for the truth. To be wise but not harmful, and to be gentle but not weak. This is a perfect harmony of wisdom and gentleness because they both somewhat limit each other. This is actually the wisdom and gentleness that Christ lived.
It truly is a zoo out there! Sheep, wolves, sheepdogs, serpents, dove...What will you choose?
I will leave you with a few verses.
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance...
Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
