“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither
cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them
under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
(Matthew 7:6)
As a pastor, I have learned that, often, the people for whom
I do the most are the very people who “turn again and rend” me.
“Rend” means to tear apart. Find good ground in which to sow.
As a young adult, I was the Area Director for two Boys and
Girls Clubs in New Orleans. I was very good at my job, because
the kids and their families came first in my daily mission. But, I
learned a valuable lesson over the years – I put the most time and
energy into the kids and parents who caused me the most grief. In
essence, I was trying to change a mentality, but not in the correct
manner. I should have referred those families to other agencies
that specialized in their particular areas of need. A great number of
people see kindness as weakness. My eyes were opened when two
kids who had grown up in the club came to me after they graduated
from high school and told me that they had longed for my
attention, but I was always distracted helping malcontents. Most of
those malcontents did not heed my counsel and continued to cause
problems at school and in the community. What am I trying to say?
Sow into the lives of those who truly want and value your help!
Devin Oten
DO Enterprises
www.DevinOten.com
Writer, Public Speaker and Philanthropist
February 3, 2013