True Colors
Is it really that easy to be led astray?
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. - Matthew 7:13-21
Jesus warns his disciples about being conned.
People will come along, he says, who are intent on deceiving you, but there is a way to discern the truth from the lies. You can tell them by their fruits.
What are their fruits and what are ours?
Our fruits are our labors, an indication of our worth and productivity in all we do in this world. Jesus says those things we do will indicate whether or not we are good and truthful.
Those who set out to deceive produce bad fruits. They can be found out by looking at what they accomplish, not what they say.
Of course, we all know people who claim to do good and we might tend to believe them, but on careful inspection, or when put to the test, their true colors come out.
It is not easy to maintain a lie, and cons are only successful when they are executed quickly. The longer the scene drags on, the more likely you will change your mind and walk away.
So, we should test each scenario. Be skeptical. People are not always what they seem, and those who seek to deceive are really good at looking good, acting good. But what do they do?
Most of the time, what they do best is deceive.
More to come...