(NKJV) “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matthew 7:6)
What does all that mean? I like dogs, and that sounds derogatory. Is it?
No.
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs” means don’t share things that are sensitive and important with people who won’t appreciate those things. I loved my dog, but I didn’t feed her T-bone and ribeye steaks. Why? Because she wouldn’t appreciate the enjoyment, value, cost, and sacrifice I would have had to make.
Likewise, when we share important, sensitive, and sacred things with people who can’t appreciate the sacrifice and sacredness as we do, we’re left empty and feeling vulnerable. We exposed our life with those who can’t appreciate the value of what is important to us.
As for casting our pearls before swine, this is even more extreme. Those sacred and precious things in our lives are then destroyed before us and we are ridiculed and hurt by the ones we trusted.
For instance, when you find yourself sharing your life with a lover. As that relationship begins to develop, you share more intimate feelings, desires, plans, and maybe even sex.
But what happens if things don’t work out? If you’ve cast your pearls among a swine, that pig will use those intimate feelings, desires, plans, and sex against you. You may even find those things on social media platforms. Videos of your intimacy exposed to the world, ridicule of insecurities, dehumanization of your life, public exposure of your deepest personal feelings, and the list goes on.
We need to be careful with the things in our lives that are sacred. Trust needs to be earned. The wolves in sheep’s clothing and are sometimes difficult to discern, but we must learn discernment and wisdom.
We can weather the storms of life and in the process learn to avoid them. This is why God has given us His word and Spirit — to help us overcome the storm, but more importantly to learn to avoid the wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Love you all.
Stay strong and vigilant!
