Matthrew 7:6

Matthew 7:6 “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.

Have you ever had the experience of trying to help someone and had them respond in anger?
You were trying to help, you were giving them the wisdom of your experience, you were trying to help them avoid the cost or pain of making a mistake, but they responded ungratefully.
Someone once said that the only lesson people learn is the lesson they learn for themselves. This might not be completely true, but it is true enough to be considered anytime we want to help someone.
Whenever we see a person in trouble or in need of help and we step in to save them, we are in danger of having our help thrown back at us, our care returned with hate.
This is equally true of the truths of God when we impart to someone God's truth when they have no desire to hear.
So a first step we might take is to ask ... Does this person indicate a desire to learn or grow? If not, is there something I can do (eg ask a question) that gives them an opportunity to recognise an area they want to grow in?
If there is a desire to grow then ask ... Is there a way I can empower this person to discover an answer?
Perhaps this is why so often Jesus told a story and didn't provide an explanation of the meaning?
If you want to influence someone and not be seen as interfering spending time thinking and doing things that will raise the quench for help is better than jumping in with an answer.
So, is there a quench in your life?

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything

I'm currently re-reading the book 'Influencer: The Power to Change Anything'. In it the authors suggest the need to find 'vital behaviours', that is those behaviours that have a disproportional impact on achieving outcomes.
Here are a couple examples of vital behaviours.

For Long Term Significant Weight Loss (Influencer, P.42) research indicates three vital behaviours of those who have lost significant weight and kept it off for over 6 years.

• Exercise on home equipment
• Eat breakfast daily
• Weigh yourself daily

To increase customer satisfaction (Influencer, P.37)

• Smile
• Make eye contact
• Identify yourself
• Let people know what you are doing and why
• End every interaction with “Is there anything else that you need?”

Matthew 7:1-5

Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Here we come across a passage commonly misinterpreted. We are encouraged in other parts of scripture to hold each other accountable, so this passage is not about never judging, it is about being very careful and merciful in our judgements.
In which areas of your life are you likely to judge others more harshly than yourself? (Example: I often complain when I see someone using a phone while driving, and then find myself answering my phone when I'm driving.)
Stephen Covey has a great book called '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' and one of those habits is 'seek first to understand ... then to be understood'. How might this habit help us to be less judgemental?
Consider an area of judgementalness that you struggle with. Spend some time imagining the reasons why the person is doing what they are doing. Now spend time praying for that person and asking God for guidance on how you can be more merciful and loving towards that person.

Matthew 6:28

Matthew 6:28-34 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What worries you the most? Is worrying about the matter making any positive difference?
Too often we worry about things we cannot do anything about or use worry as an excuse not to take action that is difficult. Which of these practices is most true for you?
How do you feel about God knowing about your needs?
Which priorities do you believe God is calling you to focus on? (What can you do to seek and bring about his kingdom?)
God's solution to worry is two-fold. His first solution is to concern yourself with greater matters. The greater matter (his kingdom) will crowd out the lesser matters. And secondly, to focus only on the troubles immediately in front of you, those concerns of today, that is those concerns you can do something about right now.
Ask God to give you a greater vision of his kingdom and the part you play in bringing about his purposes.