Sep – 15 – FABLES!

“But reject profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself toward godliness” (I Timothy 4:7).

There are hundreds of magazines to publish stories. The movies and television programmes bring numerous fables amid the general public. Such fictions penetrate in the Christian circle also in a big way. Indeed, the short stories and parables are necessary. They are indeed required to make the people understand rare, huge truths in an easy manner. Has not Christ made people understand big truths through tiny parables? Short stories are indeed helpful during sermons but one should ensure that the whole sermon does not become the story.
A preacherwas earnestly speaking about the holiness and love of God. Amid his message, he cited the story of a monkey eating the banana as an example to explain things. After the meeting was over, he had a chat with the people who attended the meeting to have an evaluation of his message. Everyone’s response was that the story of the monkey had inspired them greatly. The face of the preacher became pale.
His expectation was that the participants will speak about the love of God. But the fables he narrated had made the truth to disappear. In his epistle written to Titus and Timothy, Paul the Apostle says, “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies” (I Timothy 1:3, 4).
The Scripture says, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables and exercise yourself toward godliness” (I Timothy 4:7). “And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables”(II Timothy 4:4). “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (II Peter 1:16).
Many people not only resort to short stories but also exaggerate tiny incidents and present them attractively so that they could capture the concentration of the listeners. But God dislikes this. Solomon the wise says that sin is not lacking in the multitude of words (Proverbs 10:19).
Those who live staying close to God and who keep speaking to Him will not speak unwanted words. Those who narrate unwanted stories among people will not kneel and pray. Dear children of God, be cautious over the words of your mouth.

To meditate: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).