Today, I read Proverbs 18:17, which says, "The first to present his case seems right, until another comes forward and questions him."
I think about all the things I hear about people. I used to believe the things I heard. I used to believe that what people told me happened actually happened the way they describe it. If someone had a problem with another person, the incidents they would describe MUST have been how it actually happened.
That is what this Proverb is saying to avoid. How many times have I heard from one person, only to hear something totally different from someone else? In the office, in the home, in the church, I have learned the folly of believing the "first to present his case." And yet, how many relationships, how many friendships, how many homes and offices and churches have been torn apart because we simply believe what people tell us about others? What unspeakable damage, sometimes irreparable, has been done because we accept as gospel truth what one person says about another?
I have gotten to the point where I rarely believe anything I hear about someone else. This decision has served me well as a pastor, because, believe me, I hear so much about people it is unreal. So, whenever you hear something about someone else, or an incident that someone was a part of, remember this proverb: "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him" (Proverbs 18:17) and continue with your ongoing search for wisdom.
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