Be Peculiar

[Christ4Ever]

When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence, distinguishing the bad from the good. Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart; I am pure and free from sin"? Proverbs 20:8-9 NLT

If you want to know if something is fake, pay a visit to someone who spends most of his time around what's genuine. They can tell the difference. An experienced jeweler knows the variations between quality and flawed gemstones. A chef knows the difference between food made with fresh ingredients and those that have spent quality time with a freezer. A seasoned bank teller has an easy time spotting a counterfeit bill.

This world is filled with the negligent and dishonest. It's awash with knockoffs in a world of the shoddy and the cheap. So when you come across the authentic and honest, they seem peculiar.

You need someone in your sphere of friendships who can help you value honesty and trustworthiness. It may be uncomfortable to have someone hold you to account, but this is a training tool God can use to separate you from the dishonesty that is often easy to pick up.

Prayer: Lord, I want to be known for a life of something more than shoddy and cheap. I know I won't always be diligent and completely forthright, but I want to be. Keep working on me, and bring friends into my life who can help me to walk this journey with You.

 

[strike8echo]

Powder (1995):
"And how beautiful they really are. And that there's no need to hide, or lie. And that it's possible to talk to someone without any lies, with no sarcasms, no deceptions, no exaggerations or any of the things that people use to confuse the truth."

It's funny, in a tragic way, that the girl he was talking to could only say, "I have no idea what that would even look like." How terribly sad that her response is so true for so many. It is important, however, to remember that there is a huge difference between speaking the truth and speaking the truth in love.