Our testimonies should not be made-up stories.
Someone tells you to testify for something. But you don’t have anything for that something. Experiences were lived not to be made-up. But out of blind obedience, you make up a story and testify. You hypocrite!
But then we can’t judge a person just like that. We all are going through something and sometimes we can’t blame a person for his/her action. But a lie is a lie and we shouldn’t be making up stories just to cover us for the time being. Remember that people do remember and some are even more attentive than we ever imagine. They will investigate and question whether we’ve told the right story or not.
A place where people sometimes testify is the church. I happen to hear exaggerated stories just to get them through the time being. We have to be careful with how we say things. Let’s not talk as if things happened that easily. Even in praying we have to exert a lot of efforts in order to express what we want.
Our lives are real and not fiction. It will not always be smooth. It will not always be trimmed edges. It will not always be ready-made. It will not be always an easy ride. Sharing an event of our lives should not be taken lightly by just weighing it with our words without regard to feelings involved while those things were happening.
To make it more direct, don’t force something out your mouth if it really is not the true story. Don’t wrap it up at the end just to fit what you have in mind.
Don’t make a quiet person talk. If you wish to do so, do it with utmost care. It will take real skill to convince someone to get out of his or her shell. Don’t let an inexperienced person handle such a delicate task. Why then do psychologists learn with years of studying at school? Because things need to be learned. Doing something of sheer determination to be successful is not recommended. Job will be lousy and may make a person worse.
Likewise, don’t insist in making someone, who isn’t willing to study, study. Time is precious for the person to waste. He or she has other interests and its best to leave him or her be. Unwilling people will always be unwilling. Don’t touch them so they won’t get back to you. Again, unless you have a hidden skill to convince or persuade the person.
Even fruits have their time to be picked. You can’t tell a tree to bear fruit if it’s not it’s time to bear fruit. You can’t make a flower bloom if its season hasn’t come. You can’t make someone jump if he/she is not ready or having some injuries. You can’t perform a dance if you haven’t practiced and mastered its steps. Also, you can’t cry if you don’t feel crying. You can’t laugh if you don’t feel laughing. You can’t understand if you still did not understand.
Criticizing blind obedience while teaching blind obedience. Preposterous!
But then again, we can’t just judge so easily. It’s up to us people to exercise our rights, if we ever have such liberties.
Okay, I’ve been talking in riddles… Here’s the thing, you can’t just order someone to do something without the right preparations. There has to be a process. But if it isn’t meant to be done, then it isn’t meant to be done. Meaning that we have to accept that things just happen the way they do. Not accepting truth is also an indication of lack of understanding. Accept the truth. Don’t say otherwise. Unless you have other truths that does not contradict with the former truth. In short, we have what we say as context. Sometimes, things happen basing on the context. Not all that is applicable in one context is applicable to another context. We can’t take meanings literally. It’s hastiness to conclude immediately. More reflections and questionings are needed.
Let me ask you, what if someone orders you to preach to strangers at parks and other places where many people are likely go, what will you do? Will you accept the challenge? Is that even acceptable?
It’s ridiculous… What has happened to our mindset?
Or maybe, I am just the dumb one here and the one who is misunderstanding everything. I may just be the cynic and the unbelieving. Or am I? Didn’t I have a point at least?
Tell me.
