Ooh, That Stings!

The bees are out. Trust me. I saw them. Plenty of them. 
In fact, there were enough to drive our teenagers back inside the house. 

Big ones.
Little ones.
Medium ones.

All had the correct bee apparatus. Stingers. And it looked like they wanted to use them. With a vengeance.

As I watched our children--teenaged children--run for the hills, I firstly, laughed. Because that's the kind of parent I am.

Twisted. 

But then a more sobering thought came to mind.

Bumblebees are a lot like people.

They look nice. Some are furry, some are smiling, some are friendly and don't look like they mean harm. But they all have the potential to sting you. I'm not saying they all do, I'm just saying they have the potential.

Admit it. We've all been on the receiving end of someone's not so nice gossip list. When we hear what so-and-so has been saying, well, it hurts. Stings, if you will.

It's never fun to be on the brunt end, is it? No.

Abraham Lincoln is credited as saying ~

If you look for the bad in mankind

expecting to find it,

you surely will.

...and he was right.

How many times have we looked at someone else, pointed our finger, and let the tongue wag? Let's be honest. Pretty much all of us have. But, after we ourselves have received the (dis)honor of the 

Wagging Tongue and Pointed Finger, 

do we really find it helpful? Beneficial in some way? Does it make us want to become a better, upstanding citizen that never does wrong again? And where we crawl on our knees and beg that 

Wagger-of-the-Tongue's pardon and forgiveness?

No. I didn't think so.

Instead, it brings out the horns, doesn't it. The evil 'I'll-get-you-back' thoughts come instantly to mind don't they?

Because we're human.

and not one of us is...

perfect.

Although I know ole Abe Lincoln wasn't perfect, I do think he was pretty smart. But let's not leave it up to him, shall we?

As always and with anything, why don't we see what

the One Who is perfect, without sin,

without reproach,

was crucified because He is perfect,

has to say.

James 4:12 - There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

Romans 14:10 -14 - 

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  

11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 

12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 

13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. 

14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Next time I'm tempted to wag that finger and unloose my tongue about someone else, I'm going to try to remember that I don't know what they're going through. I don't know everything that is in their heart. Because, quite simply, 

I AM NOT GOD.

and NEITHER ARE YOU.

I'll hit my knees and pray about them.

Will you join me?