““I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬
http://bible.com/111/mat.10.16.niv

Here Jesus warns that being a Christian won’t be easy. There will be many times we will feel like sheep among wolves.

How we handle ourselves is the key here.

There is nowhere in the Bible that says we have to be a doormat. We will encounter those that are in church every Sunday but are working for Satan. Sadly they may not even realize they are working for Satan. Be wise, inspect their fruit. We spoke yesterday about the fruit of the spirit. So is their fruit rotten or are they producing good fruit.? Do they have the qualities the Bible says we Christians should possess, gentleness, kindness, patience, peace and joy? Or do they grieve the Holy Spirit with their bitterness, rage, anger and malice?

Jesus not only says we need to be wise, but that we need to be innocent. We are a representative of Christ or at least we should be. We can stand firm and maintain good Christian behavior. We can offer opinions without being derogatory. We can disagree with our brother and not be unkind.

We Christians may be the only Bible that some people will ever read. Some may be looking to us to judge how we handle tough situations.

So as you go through this day be shrewd as the snake. We have to love but we don’t have to blindly trust, especially those that are not walking with the Lord.

Be innocent. The Bible is very clear that it is ok to be angry when it is appropriate. Jesus showed anger at the temple. The Bible also tells us we are not to sin in our anger.

Being a Christian is not easy but it is so rewarding. We serve an awesome God!

May you have a blessed day!!