Be Careful About Repeating What You Hear

Psalms 1:1-5, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

I have heard countless people repeat old adages and sayings that they've heard from someone else. That is fine to an extent. However, much of the things that we hear is just plain garbage and untrue.

For example: You've probably heard that the word “fear” can be expressed by the phrase, “False Evidence Appearing Real” (F.E.A.R.). The problem with that idea is that it's not always true. If you are on a wilderness hike in Alaska and meet a raging Grizzly Bear, your fear is not false evidence that only appears to be real. You're in great danger and will likely be eaten alive and killed, and in that morbid order. Fear oftentimes is justifiably real.

My point is that if we're not careful, we may allow other people to cause us to think things that are untrue, foolish and even harmful. I humbly disagree that fear means false evidence appearing real. Perhaps paranoia or worry can be defined as false evidence appearing real, but most fear is because of things that are very real.

What saith the Scripture? 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” The Greek word for ”try” is dokimazo, which means “to approve” (to “test”). Hence, we should TEST everything that we see and hear, to ensure that it is biblical.

Another untrue adage that I hate is: “If it's meant to be, it will be.” That is a terrible saying. I know a divorce woman, who abandoned her husband to go her own selfish way. He wants to remarry her, but she doesn't want to get remarried. Yet, when he brings up the matter is remarriage, she foolishly says, “If it's meant to be, it will be.” She is a fool. How will their marriage ever be restored, if she keeps throwing the issue under the bus. Folks, if you refuse to lift a finger to make something happen, I can tell you with all certainty that it's not going to happen. If you only do what you've been doing, nothing will change. So, this is another example of a damaging saying that we ought not repeat.

Another saying that I detest is: “Good things come to those who wait.” Uh, I don't think so! I've been waiting for 18 years for a wife to come along, but nothing good has come from it. I am now realizing that if I don't go find someone, I will be alone for the rest of my life. I don't know what idiot made that statement, but good things don't come to those who wait. You need to make things happen, if you want them to happen. Life is what we make of it.

Someone else has made the untrue statement, “Follow your heart.” Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” It is not advisable dear reader to ever follow your heart, because the Holy Bible says our heart is wicked and deceitful above all things. Never trust the man who trusts himself. I'm just giving you some of the popular adages that we hear all the time in society. Due to our human nature it is very easy to start repeating (parroting) these dangerous sayings.

Psalms 1:1a, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly...” Sometimes you may walk in the counsel of the ungodly and not even realize it friend. We're all guilty of it. I have adopted foolish sayings myself in the past. Since then I have become very on guard against things that I hear. 1st John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Sometimes even the false prophets themselves don't realize they've been deceived. Deception is everywhere in society today.

 

The crafty serpent (Satan) gave Eve the worst advice possible in the Garden of Eden, convincing her to disobey God. Because she heeding the serpent's ruthless lies, Eve and her family were evicted from Paradise. You can always tell when the Devil is lying, anytime his lips move. The world is full of sinful ungodly advice. That is why it is very important for every child of God to abide in the Scriptures day and night (John 5:39).