Today’s Blog: A snake by any other name . . .

TODAY’S PROVERB: A scoundrel, a wicked man, is one who goes around with a perverse mouth, winking his eyes, shuffling his feet, pointing his fingers, who continually plots evil with deceit in his heart stirring up strife. Proverbs 6:12-14, TLV

Okay, I admit it. I severely dislike snakes. In principle I don’t like the way they look and it doesn’t matter knowing if they are poisonous or not.

My mom is able to tell if a snake is poisonous and isn’t opposed to shooting its head off — with her rifle. My cute, little mom.

There’s this huge snake under her porch at my brother’s farm. She loves that snake because apparently it eats copperheads and rattlesnakes. So, I guess that’s okay. And, near as I can tell, there must be a lot of copperheads and rattlesnakes in the area because this dude is huge!

This proverb is an odd little passage. It’s a lesson in discernment. Not all scoundrels are wicked or evil, some are simply rascals getting into trouble from time to time. How do we tell the difference? Discernment.

Some might call discernment judging, but I think of snakes. Just because my mom discerns that a rattlesnake is poisonous and dangerous, it doesn’t mean she’s judgmental. Me, on the other hand, deciding that I don’t like any snake is judgmental, not discerning.

So next time you exercise a bit of discernment and someone accuses you of being judgmental, smile and think of my mom.

May we learn to be discerning, my friends.

Proverbs 6:12-14 Tree of Life Version – TLV, #tlvbible, #tlvproverbs