Monkey See, Monkey Do
Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.Proverbs 22:24-25
As children, we were warned about our behavior with the old phrase. "Monkey see, Monkey do". Solomon has expounded upon this phrase and place a sterner warning about whom we hang out with. When we accept an individuals behavior as "normal" or "acceptable", we are numbed to the effects of such behavior. And sooner, or later, we begin to mimic such "accepted" behavior.
Solomon did not say that we should not interact with such individuals - for how else will they be exposed to the saving grace of our Savior? But we are not to accept their behavior as appropriate. Using the old phrase, "We are to love the individual but not his behavior". Isn't that what God did with us? Each and every one of us were despicable sinners in His sight before we accepted His salvation. He loved us, not our behavior. And we should mirror His love and disdain of actions by those around us who are not following His will.
My father used to add a caveat to the old monkey phrase: " It is the wise monkey who recognizes when others are making a fool of themselves and chooses not to imitate the actions, no matter how much attention the fools are getting from others." Shouldn't we do the same to our wayward acquaintance? We need to show them the love of Christ but we must be wise to recognize their foolish behavior does not become a Christian.
As children, we were warned about our behavior with the old phrase. "Monkey see, Monkey do". Solomon has expounded upon this phrase and place a sterner warning about whom we hang out with. When we accept an individuals behavior as "normal" or "acceptable", we are numbed to the effects of such behavior. And sooner, or later, we begin to mimic such "accepted" behavior.
Solomon did not say that we should not interact with such individuals - for how else will they be exposed to the saving grace of our Savior? But we are not to accept their behavior as appropriate. Using the old phrase, "We are to love the individual but not his behavior". Isn't that what God did with us? Each and every one of us were despicable sinners in His sight before we accepted His salvation. He loved us, not our behavior. And we should mirror His love and disdain of actions by those around us who are not following His will.
My father used to add a caveat to the old monkey phrase: " It is the wise monkey who recognizes when others are making a fool of themselves and chooses not to imitate the actions, no matter how much attention the fools are getting from others." Shouldn't we do the same to our wayward acquaintance? We need to show them the love of Christ but we must be wise to recognize their foolish behavior does not become a Christian.
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