By: Jesse Deloe
Some time ago a magazine article commented on the oft-spoken suggestion to quit talking about what’s wrong and tell others what’s right. Except for the cynics among us, most people would be happy to talk only—or at least, mostly—about what’s right rather than what’s wrong.
But, let’s be realistic. If a pipe springs a leak in your house, you don’t respond by speaking well of the many pipes in the house that aren’t leaking. You grab a bucket and call for a plumber. If you discover a fire in your home, the fire department doesn’t request that you consider the thousands of homes in the community that aren’t on fire. You scream, “Help, my house is on fire!” And they immediately come to your rescue.
As they say, “The wheel that squeaks gets the oil.” Let’s admit it. Preachers and teachers respond to needs. If they observe squeaking wheels, leaking pipes, or houses on fire (in the metaphorical sense), they’ll try to oil the wheels, repair the pipes, and put out the fire. Though emphasizing what’s wrong, they are seeking to help us make those things right.
Let’s look for the remedies our leaders offer us and try to apply them to the wrongs in life.
So give your servant a discerning heart…to distinguish between right and wrong. (Jeremiah 22:3)