"Holding Your Peace"


BIBLE READING: 1 Samuel 9-12
                Someone told me years ago that you can’t please everyone and if you do, then you must be doing something wrong.  The older I get the more I understand their point.  It doesn’t matter how much you try to be the best person you can be, there will always be those that want to criticize, ridicule or demean who you are or what you do.  What makes it difficult is that those are usually the only comments you might hear. These criticisms come in many forms; whether it’s you’re not good enough, you’re not enough, or you’re just not that important; they all hurt!  So how do we learn to handle them?  How do we not allow them to corrupt our own self-worth and self-image? Believe it or not, King Saul leaves us with a great example.   As the newly appointed King of Israel, Saul had his share of critics.  In fact, the Bible refers to them in the New American Standard Version as “worthless fellows”.  In I Samuel 10: 27, we read that there were those that doubted Saul’s ability to lead.  They despised him and did not offer him any gift to show their support.  Now the Bible doesn’t come right out and say that these people were very vocal about it, but that seems to be the implication when we see Saul’s response.  The Bible says that Saul “held his peace”; other versions say that he “Kept silent”.  How can we follow that example?  First, Saul knew that there were those who did offer him support and encouragement and those that did believe in him.  Secondly, Saul knew that God had selected him to be King.  That meant that even if everyone else did not believe in him, God did.  When it comes down to it, God’s approval is all that we should be concerned about.  2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to “Study to show ourselves approved of God...”.  Ephesians 2.10 reminds us that we are “His workmanship”, “His creation”.  It is God who has created us, and we need to be reminded that “God don’t make junk”.  So, the next time someone says something to you that is hurtful, unflattering and not supportive of you, just remember to hold your peace; because God made you and He loves you just the way you are!  
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