Proverbs 26:2
"Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, so a curse without cause does not alight"
The great danger that this proverb points out is not to give too much credence to every negative thing said about you. All kinds of people will say all kinds of things about you – most of which are not true or some twisted incomplete view of what really happened. We cannot afford to respond to that or be emotionally worked up about it. In fact, in many cases it would be better to not hear it.
I was talking with a woman the other day who was being critical of another person just to cover up some issues that she was dealing with. I thought how difficult it would be for the person she was speaking about to ignore what was being said, but that is what would need to be done.
The analogy is a sparrow and a swallow – two birds that are always flying through the trees and around the house. What effect does their flying and wandering have on the occupants of the house? Answer: NOTHING. So you pay them no mind even though they are always around. In the same way realize that the process of living causes people to be upset with you for all kinds of reasons and, therefore, to say all types of things about you. Don't be bothered by these.
The proverb says we should only worry about those things that people say that are true. It is the foolish person who wants to correct everything that is said. I have watched people spend all kinds of time to correct what people are saying and only increase the untrue things people are saying in the process.
Remember, you do not want to know all the things that are being said about you. Much is not true. If any of it is true, then fix it. If you hear a bunch of inaccurate things about you, just let it go, especially when it is said by a person who does not really know you. Live your life as a righteous person; do the right thing every chance you can. That will, over time, speak for itself.
If you hear people saying things about you that are blatantly not true, it will not stick so let it go. If you, however, get all upset and go after everything that is said about you, people will begin to wonder what kind of person you are.
Be righteous and enjoy the people God has put in your life, realizing that even some of your close friends might believe things about you that are not true.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz