Friday, May 6, 2016

A Joke and a Lesson

I was going around, visiting the blogs I follow when I happened upon Shawn's blog, Laughing at Life 2 and his Dam Joke.  Okay, I had a good laugh, and then I started to think about it.  Then I began to want to share what I thought.  So, I asked Shawn, and good sport that he is, he said I could share his joke here with my post.  So thanks to Shawn, and here's the joke:

"A boy is selling fish on a corner. To get his customers' attention, he is yelling, "Dam fish for sale! Get your dam fish here!" A pastor hears this and asks, "Why are you calling them 'dam fish.'" The boy responds, "Because I caught these fish at the local dam." The pastor buys a couple fish, takes them home to his wife, and asks her to cook the dam fish. The wife responds surprised, "I didn't know it was acceptable for a preacher to speak that way." He explains to her why they are dam fish. Later at the dinner table, he asks his son to pass the dam fish. He responds, "That's the spirit, Dad! Now pass the f*cking potatoes!""

It should be easy to see why I laughed.  The preacher was having fun with the play on words.  Then his son heard him and instead of being shocked and then laughing with relief when he realized Dad didn't mean what he thought, the son believed his Dad was actually condoning foul language and curse words.  It's a funny premise.

Until you begin to think about it.  How many times in our day to day life, in our Christian walk, do we "flirt" with the edges of sin?  Go right up to the point of sinning and then stop short?  Or perhaps we even stick our toe in and test the water!  Don't you know, even if we are sure in our  hearts WE have not sinned, if we cause someone to believe we have fallen short of the mark, we have failed?!  It is true!  We are not responsible for only our own actions and whether they are right or not in God's sight, we are responsible for how those around us perceive those actions.  If, like the son in the joke, they perceive that we are somehow condoning their improper, impure actions and motives, then we stand guilty.

If on the other hand, we have carried ourselves uprightly in ever way we possibly can and they still mis-perceive and somehow feel justified in their wrong doing, then it is not our fault, but lies with them.  The Apostle Paul addressed this issue in regard to the practice of buying and eating meat that had been offered as a sacrifice to idols.  Idol worship is wrong.  Those who worshiped the idols believed that eating the meat that had been sacrificed to the idol actually brought part of that "god" into the eater.  Christians knew there was no power in the idols or the meat.  But new converts and those still practicing idol worship did not.  In Romans 14, Paul addressed this!  He summed it up well in this:  14 As for myself, I am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that there is nothing really wrong with eating meat that has been offered to idols. But if someone believes it is wrong, then he shouldn’t do it because for him it is wrong. 15 And if your brother is bothered by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you go ahead and eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Don’t do anything that will cause criticism against yourself even though you know that what you do is right.  Therefore, let us not think like the world, "I know I'm right and if you don't understand who cares."  but think like Christ and care about our weaker brothers and sisters.  Care about the unsaved around you everywhere!  In Luke 17:2&3 Christ Jesus himself says, "If he were thrown into the sea with a huge rock tied to his neck, he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children’s souls. I am warning you!"  

What about it?  Do you know you are flirting with sin?  Is there some weaker person you are causing to feel justified in their weakness?  Will you stand up for Christ and then extend a hand to them?

26 comments:

  1. A funny joke and a great lesson to start the weekend with! Hope you have a stunning weekend!

    Michele at Angels Bark

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    1. You, too, Michele! Thanks for stopping by Caneyhead.

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  2. That's why we have to try to be good examples, because we never know who is watching. That also means not doing something that would cause others to sin.

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    1. Exactly, Alex! And that can be a tall order to fill at times. Yet, if we are loving others as Christ does, we'd wish to do nothing that would lead them into harm.

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  3. Made me larfe out loud. I'm usually rubbish at telling or remembering jokes. So I shall share your blog post instead...
    Caz

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  4. One of the hardest things in life, for me, is knowing that I have children watching and learning from my behavior. It is hard! But, on the other hand the joke was pretty funny!!

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    1. You are absolutely right, Paula. It's hard knowing that you are an example to others. It's hard enough on a good day, but it is doubly so on those days you feel like crap or nothing wants to go right. But then, it's maybe even more important how we conduct ourselves.

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  5. Have a nice Mother's Day tomorrow. My body and my computer have both been acting ugly lately so not reading all the blogs.

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    1. Oh, Paula, I'm sorry to hear you are having problems. I do hope you are able to enjoy Mother's Day! And that the computer issues get solved. God bless.

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  6. I think that children (and other folks, too), pay more attention to what we do than what we say, because we don't always do what we say. Being an example is the best way to go. Thank you for the smiles, and you have a lovely blog. :)

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    1. I believe you are right about that Linda! As they say, actions speak louder than words. Thanks for the blog love!

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  7. I enjoyed your post, Barbara. I have lots of questions, but can't quite "words" them, as the kids say. What do you do about a person whose actions do not appear to match up with their words? If anger is a sin, and this inconsistency causes anger, then what is their responsibility in your sin?

    Have a blessed day!

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    1. The one who sins is always responsible in the eyes of God for his own sin. We all have choice and we all have free will, no matter the circumstances we are in. These words here today, are meant as a caution to us as Christians, that weaker brothers and sisters, and those that don't yet know Christ, are looking to us and at us. If we do things that make them confused about sin, or that make them feel justified in sinning, then we are doing them a disservice and that is our sin. It's like this, if someone reads a label out loud that says, "Do not drink, poison." and then scoffs and says, "yeah, right, ha!" and walks away and then a person who saw and heard him opens the poison and drinks it, it is the person doing the drinking that made the bad, stupid choice to do so when the label said it was poison, but the one who scoffed about it in front of him is partly responsible for marginalizing the warning. They did the drinker a disservice, made them doubt the label. And that is their sin to bare.

      As to a person who's actions don't match up with their words, it can sometimes be that a person knows better, but is still struggling to learn to make their actions meet the ideals they want to live up to. They might need help, support and encouragement.
      But many times, it simply means that they don't truly believe in their hearts what their mouths are saying. These people certainly need our prayers, but the Bible warns us to be careful of folks like that.

      Our preacher says it this way, we are told not to judge others, that is God's job. But we ARE called to be "fruit" inspectors. If a person is professing to be a Christian, but bears no fruit of the Holy Spirit, then we have cause to doubt what they believe and should be wary of them.

      James 3 and Galatians 5 are excellent.

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  8. Oh MY Gosh! I laughed at this one.
    http://enchantedfantasies.blogspot.com/

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  9. By the way...Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. Thank you! I was Happy! Hope you had a good day as well.

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  10. I agree with Alex...we never know who is watching!! A good example, indeed...

    Wishing you a wonderful Monday from Germany :)

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    1. Yep, there's not telling. Hope your Monday was well!

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  11. That was a funny joke! Certainly good things to think about. We need to try to help others stay on the right path.

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    1. Yes, we all just need to follow Christ a little more closely.

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  12. Hm. I first heard that joke as a child, and never analyzed it as you have. :)

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    1. Oh, sometimes I don't, but other times my mind goes off on a tangent, overthinking something I heard or read. A whole discussion will develop in my mind sometimes!

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    2. Hey, that's what blogging is all about, right? :)

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So glad you stopped by! Come 'round any time. ~ Barbara

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