Today, with a single click, you can freely access and rate some of the best music ever written. So how do the masters fare?
On one website, more than 8,000 respondents gave a thumbs-down to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Nearly one in twenty disapproved of Bach’s concertos. On another site, Mozart’s sublime first movement of Eine kleine Nachtmusik (“a little serenade”) received an overall score of 4.2 out of 5.
Mozart gets a B plus?! This is music for the ages, and the Internet trolls are finding fault! Regardless, it’s safe to say that the classics will continue to be loved by many.
In Mark’s gospel, we read how Jesus went about doing extraordinary things. He drove out evil spirits (Mark 1:21-26), healed people miraculously (Mark 1:29-34), and instructed the multitudes in a way they had never heard before. Yet Jesus’ own family thought He had lost His mind (Mark 3:21). The religious leaders had a more blunt accusation: “He’s possessed by Satan. . . . That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons” (Mark 3:22).
Jesus didn’t simply walk away in disgust, nor did He respond indignantly. Instead, He gave this timeless challenge: “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. . . . If Satan is divided . . . how can he stand?” (Mark 3:24-26).
When faced with a personal attack, Jesus simply gave a wise and strong warning that defended the Source of His power—the Holy Spirit.
There’s a lesson here for us. The “trolls” in life will come and go, but we don’t need to join them in exchanging petty accusations. Neither do we need to give them a free pass. If we ask, the Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom to know when to let things go and when to offer a wise challenge.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Daniel 5:1-30
More:
Proverbs 25:21-28 shares some good observations about conflicts and the wise (and unwise) use of words.
Next:
Are you prone to anger when unfairly attacked? What do you do with your anger? Are your words helpful, or do they make the problem worse?
sandy229 on June 1, 2017 at 12:02 am
Thank you Tim for another timely devotion. God always knows what we need when we need it, doesn’t He?
Lord I pray that you will guide me in helping me to know when to let things go and when to offer a wise challenge. I pray that I will not get angry when someone says something against me. Help me not to feel like I have to prove I am right, help me to give up the right to be right. Help me to never get angry and act on this anger for I know it is sin to do that. In Jesus precious name, Amen.
godlove on June 1, 2017 at 4:27 am
Amen, sandy, I make your prayer mine as well. As followers of Christ, we have so much to learn from the example He gave us during His time on earth. It would normally be very difficult for us as the flesh is always ready to retaliate to every “troll” and go as low as they take us, even right to the mud, but I give thanks for the gift of Holy Spirit in us believers, who daily grants us the strength we need to be true imitators of Christ and helps us to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh. Thank you, Tim.
tim gustafson on June 1, 2017 at 7:27 am
I’m with you, Godlove. I’m making Sandy’s prayer mine today. And I’m thanking God again for the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit!
Gary Shultz on June 1, 2017 at 5:42 am
Hi Tim: Of course we are prone to a number of things; however, when we are able to see beyond and know God has this, we can be a lot more chill. In being patient, peaceful, and speaking calming words, we can be helpful. Now, I want to churn into this “troll” thing. I am sorry for your disappointment at the critical knife some use with classic music. I wish it was just limited to that. If I can “bring it” a little, this to me is a very dangerous part of social media, not just for music, but it happens unjustly to people and organizations. Because the accuser must not face the accused, the base belly of the human soul is often reveled. Slander is bad enough, but as we see it can quickly avalanche into a hate fest. I say that because that act in itself is so indefensible, and as hate does, it grows like wild fire. I also say this, because we are at a junction in this country between two basic lines of thought. The “trolls” will make it a very bumpy ride. Thanks Tim
tim gustafson on June 1, 2017 at 7:34 am
Gary, I have heard that angry tweets are retweeted four times as often as the kinder ones. And most times we don’t even bother to verify if they’re true or not. We just respond with more anger. It is indeed a dangerous thing, and you are spot-on to recognize it as slander. We are indeed polarized in the US, and that makes the Christian’s role especially vital. When we stoop to the “hate fest,” we dim our light drastically. Lord, please give us wisdom and restraint.
Monica Brands on June 1, 2017 at 8:36 am
Great comment, Gary, to a great devotional. I think your application to today is very wise, and hadn’t thought about it in quite that way – the way that “trolls” – the loudest, most overpowering voices – are dominating the conversation in the US in particular (and I’m sure elsewhere), preventing human beings from truly listening to each other and our differing experiences and concerns. Instead, we often get sucked into accepting the misleading battle lines drawn instead of humbly seeking the Spirit’s leading and loving others well.
sandy229 on June 1, 2017 at 10:29 am
What you say is so true Gary. The trolls on social media always seem to want the last word, and this is what leads to the “hate fest”, and grows like wildfire, and people don’t stop to think or even realize, they can never erase the words they say in haste.
Tom Felten on June 1, 2017 at 8:25 am
Tim, it occurs to me that by imitating the Master we can avoid trolling the masters . . . and everyone else. Jesus truly spoke the truth in love. As Paul wrote, may our “conversation be gracious and attractive so that [we] will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:6).
tim gustafson on June 1, 2017 at 11:07 am
Good turn of phrase there, Tom. I’m going to steal that. 🙂 I have found that what I do with my anger (whether justified or not) is critical. Very often, it is over my own self-vindication, and Jesus never, ever did that.
hsnpoor on June 1, 2017 at 6:26 pm
I haven’t checked in in quite awhile and boy am I glad I had the time, inclination and energy to do so today! I’ve been at a “WORD” conference for the last couple of days and so my mind is uncommonly (not uncommon, but more than usual) stayed on Jesus. So many of your comments are just so spot on! Sandy, I join you in your beautifully articulated and heartfelt prayer to be delivered of unrighteous indignation in response to those who would try us past our limits. Gary, your point on how social media has truly “let the dogs out to go snapping and biting at will” is very well taken up by Monica’s spot on observation that it is exactly this kind of unfettered, adverse behavior that is a major cause of the extreme polarization we are experiencing in our country. Alas, if I read my Bible properly, I don’t think things will get better before Jesus returns.
Tim, when I saw the Proverbs reference in the “More” box, I was so sure you were going to Prov. 26:4-5 because I couldn’t remember the exact address of this wonderful counsel. Although, that’s not where you took it, I think these verses are very instructive and on point to this conversation. If you find this confusing, you’re not alone. These verses confounded me for a long time. I think “got questions-dot-org” offers a wise commentary on these scriptures (read the website address between the lines).
Last thing I’d like to share is something I learned at the conference. With Pentacost Sunday coming up this Sunday, Acts 1:8 came up a lot at the conference. How many of you know that the Greek word for witnesses transliterates to our English word “martyr”? Think about that for a moment in light of that scripture and then in light of this devotional conversation. A martyr is one who is willing to give their life for the cause. I equate this to being obedient to Jesus’ requirement that one must be willing to deny self, pick up their cross and follow him, to be his disciple. It struck me that I had never once equated martyrdom with witnessing Christ to others. But, now that the connection has been made, it explains a lot and helps me to understand how I might be a much more effective witness for Christ.