“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
– Matthew 7:6
 The third tip for leaders is don’t push. As Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount, He gives an example to not give a pearl to a pig because the animal would think it was food and try to eat it, or even worse, step on it. This would have been an abomination since the pearl was the most treasured and valuable possession one could obtain in ancient culture.
Consequently, in the Bible, it’s always synonymous with the Kingdom of God — the most sacred thing we can inherit. The practical application from the story is: others will not hear what they are not ready to hear. We can be full of wisdom, knowledge, and insight, and we may be speaking absolute truth, but if the soil of a person’s heart is hard, not only will they not hear what we say, they may turn around and try to harm us with it. This is why servant leaders don’t push; they pray, plant seeds, and allow the Holy Spirit to do the watering. Friend, you don’t have to push those you love to convince them to do the right thing. Stand firm on the promises of Jesus, pray for the situations that cause you angst, and speak only when prompted by the Holy Spirit. At the right time, when your words are inspired by His heart, they will make an impact. Otherwise, if you keep pushing, you might become a clanging cymbal, and nobody wants to hear that! Let your words be few and let the Lord water and bring fruit from the seeds that you sow. |
Prayer
Jesus, give me patience and wisdom and prompt me to speak only when I’m led by you.
Reflection
Do you tend to push people when they aren’t doing what you think is best?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
One Response
Amen!