Life Hack #24: Turning the Other Cheek
Life Hack #24:
A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker. The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker. (Proverbs 24:8-9)
We all have come across the kind of people who just love to sit around, planning some kind of misbehavior, waiting for the moment to spring it on someone. Most of the time, it is in jest, but that is not always the case. A troublemaker is anyone who causes difficulties, distress, or worries - kind of out of habit and with a desire to bring injury, harm, or suffering to another. This individual makes a habit of making life miserable for others. Not the kind of people we want to associate with on a regular basis! They are the "instigators" - wherever trouble seems to be brewing, you can pretty much be assured they had something to do with it! Avoid these individuals as much as possible - because the end they desire differs from the end God desires for your life!
The troublemaker has a heart bent on evil. The difference between an occasional misadventure caused by not thinking something through and the trait of being a troublemaker is the scheming and planning to create evil - through either foolish intent, or outright attack designed to ridicule and bring contempt. To engage in "trouble-making" once in a while doesn't suggest a heart bent on evil, but just a human heart! To engage in this way of life all the time indicates intent. The heart schemes in order to taunt another with either verbal, physical, or emotional distress - in order to bring some pleasure to the troublemaker and accompanying distress to the one they are targeting.
A troublemaker gets the reputation of being the "prince of rogues". A rogue is one who is both dishonest and mischievous. When a "rogue" organism is found, we call it that because it differs so much from the original it just stands out. This individual is untrustworthy - just because of all the ways they manipulate and scheme to work whatever plan it is they have in mind. It should not surprise you that the rogue personality is also described as a fool and a mocker. One who schemes and plots to bring about a particular end is given to foolish thoughts and finding ways to point out the faults of another (even if is through sarcasm).
We have to recognize their heart if we are to avoid them. God gives us the ability to be able to look at the behaviors of another, listening also to what their words betray about their heart. When these things point clearly to this 'routine' of wrong type of behavior, it is best to avoid these individuals. Since we can all be engaged in a little bit of trouble making on occasion, we can all say we have a little bit of the "rogue" in each of us, but these individuals don't vary in their practice - it is consistent.
Some may think when we engage with a troublemaker, we actually give them more fuel for their fire. If we ignore their behavior, not allowing their words to affect us, they get flustered with being ignored, but this doesn't shut down their behavior. Being ignored is not what the troublemaker wants - they want to cause their upheaval and see those who they target respond to it. When they are ignored, they scheme a little harder and find new ways to begin their trouble-making schemes again. The best way to deal with the troublemaker is to return good for their evil. Isn't that the lesson Jesus was teaching when he said to turn the other cheek. The troublemaker will be caught off-guard by receiving a blessing when he brings forth a curse. We almost put him in a place of being put "off-balance" because the scheme did not have the effect he designed. Return enough blessings in the face of his schemes and he will be shut down. He may not stop being a troublemaker, but he will move on because he knows he cannot beat you! Just sayin!
A person who plans evil will get a reputation as a troublemaker. The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker. (Proverbs 24:8-9)
We all have come across the kind of people who just love to sit around, planning some kind of misbehavior, waiting for the moment to spring it on someone. Most of the time, it is in jest, but that is not always the case. A troublemaker is anyone who causes difficulties, distress, or worries - kind of out of habit and with a desire to bring injury, harm, or suffering to another. This individual makes a habit of making life miserable for others. Not the kind of people we want to associate with on a regular basis! They are the "instigators" - wherever trouble seems to be brewing, you can pretty much be assured they had something to do with it! Avoid these individuals as much as possible - because the end they desire differs from the end God desires for your life!
The troublemaker has a heart bent on evil. The difference between an occasional misadventure caused by not thinking something through and the trait of being a troublemaker is the scheming and planning to create evil - through either foolish intent, or outright attack designed to ridicule and bring contempt. To engage in "trouble-making" once in a while doesn't suggest a heart bent on evil, but just a human heart! To engage in this way of life all the time indicates intent. The heart schemes in order to taunt another with either verbal, physical, or emotional distress - in order to bring some pleasure to the troublemaker and accompanying distress to the one they are targeting.
A troublemaker gets the reputation of being the "prince of rogues". A rogue is one who is both dishonest and mischievous. When a "rogue" organism is found, we call it that because it differs so much from the original it just stands out. This individual is untrustworthy - just because of all the ways they manipulate and scheme to work whatever plan it is they have in mind. It should not surprise you that the rogue personality is also described as a fool and a mocker. One who schemes and plots to bring about a particular end is given to foolish thoughts and finding ways to point out the faults of another (even if is through sarcasm).
We have to recognize their heart if we are to avoid them. God gives us the ability to be able to look at the behaviors of another, listening also to what their words betray about their heart. When these things point clearly to this 'routine' of wrong type of behavior, it is best to avoid these individuals. Since we can all be engaged in a little bit of trouble making on occasion, we can all say we have a little bit of the "rogue" in each of us, but these individuals don't vary in their practice - it is consistent.
Some may think when we engage with a troublemaker, we actually give them more fuel for their fire. If we ignore their behavior, not allowing their words to affect us, they get flustered with being ignored, but this doesn't shut down their behavior. Being ignored is not what the troublemaker wants - they want to cause their upheaval and see those who they target respond to it. When they are ignored, they scheme a little harder and find new ways to begin their trouble-making schemes again. The best way to deal with the troublemaker is to return good for their evil. Isn't that the lesson Jesus was teaching when he said to turn the other cheek. The troublemaker will be caught off-guard by receiving a blessing when he brings forth a curse. We almost put him in a place of being put "off-balance" because the scheme did not have the effect he designed. Return enough blessings in the face of his schemes and he will be shut down. He may not stop being a troublemaker, but he will move on because he knows he cannot beat you! Just sayin!
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