Think of your social network as how you interact with your world. Does your temper ever get so hot that you don’t want to hold it. The rage just builds up inside of you until you can’t stand it. Your stack blows and you end up saying or doing something that you regret. A person’s temper is just one slice of the social network pie.
How you interact with the people around you matters. It’s what develops or destroys your reputation in this world. One of my favorite passages from this class is found in Proverbs 11. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion. If you had to chose between how you look and how you act, which do you think has more of an impact with your social network? You’ve heard it said that actions speak louder than words. Actions are WAY louder than looks.
Sometimes life isn’t fair. Sometimes people are wronged. Have you ever been wronged? What was your response? If you are wronged do you stop and think, this person is having a bad day and is lashing out at me because I’m the nearest thing to this troubled sinner. I will pray for that person. That’s quite the sanctified response, isn’t it? Let’s run through that scenario once more and I’ll tell you how I respond all too often. I was wronged. I instantly defend myself. I lash out right back at the person often escalating the tensions. You can find this advice in Deuteronomy 19. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. That is the guidance for how God’s people were to handle crimes. If that sounds harsh, it was actually there to LIMIT revenge. Jesus give an added interpretation on this also calling on God’s people to act in grace and mercy (Matthew 5:38-42).
Want to hear more on the topic of revenge and other ancient advice on social network? Watch this week’s Bible class taken from our series Ancient Wisdom for 2021.
Please click HERE to find the Bible class slides.
Please click HERE to watch all of the lessons from our Bible class series Ancient Wisdom for 2021.