Two Sides To The Story

The first to present his case seems right,till another comes forward and questions him.

Proverbs 18:17 (NIV)

Let’s always remember there are two sides to a story. Moms, when one of your kids comes running in crying his eyes out and blaming his brother, there are two sides to the story.

When someone at church gets mad at the pastor or a Sunday school teacher or a Bible study leader, there are two sides to the story. When your newlywed daughter calls and wants to vent about her new husband, there are two sides to the story.

So here are some tips to help us sort out facts from fiction.

• Consider the source. The other day I heard someone go on and on about someone. It was critical and unfair, but I considered the source. That person is often critical and unfair, so I took it with a grain of salt.
• Consider the motive. Do you detect a pang of jealousy, or bitterness, or malice? Malice has a way of twisting the truth.

And lastly, when you are telling your side of the story, be honest. Don’t slant the details in your favor. I’m saying this to me as much as to you. We can all be guilty of this. But a little trick that helps me keep right is to try to tell the story as if the other person were present. Let’s not say something behind someone’s back that we wouldn’t say to their face.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

It’s been said that “a half-truth is a whole lie.” Sometimes we listen to the half-truths of our own inner voices and feelings. Don’t trust your emotions; they often lie to you. Once the disciples were crossing over the Sea of Galilee with Jesus when a huge storm hit their boat. Jesus remained peacefully sleeping. They woke him with the words, “Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” (Mark 4:38). Do you wonder that today? Do you look at the pieces of your life and wonder if God knows or cares? The disciples forgot that Jesus was right there with them in the storm. This is the whole truth. Will you call out to him and ask him to calm the waves of fear and turmoil, not just around you, but in you?

One Year Bible Reading

1 Chronicles 2:18–4:4; Acts 24:1-27; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 18:16-18