Blood in the Water

Proverbs Daily is a reader-supported publication. All posts are free, but all donations help spread the message. When you see the word “upgrade,” you’re simply invited to help me make the sacred positively contagious…thank you in advance for becoming a free or paid subscriber.Proverbs 1:16“For their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.”Well, Shark Week is almost over. Yea, this is the last day and you survived!Sharks have some extraordinary equipment for finding prey. From a distance, they use several senses, including smell, sound, and vibrations in the water. But when they get close, another system takes over.Tiny sensory organs around their snout can detect the faint electrical fields produced by a living creature’s muscles. Even something hiding beneath the sand can still give itself away.The shark gets close enough… to feel the life inside its prey.Did you know that Proverbs 1:16 describes people whose feet instinctively:“rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.” (NIV)That word rush stands out to me. Because predatory behavior has a high BPM. It wants to move quickly. It smells vulnerability from a distance.Somebody made a mistake. Somebody’s name starts trending. Somebody’s marriage is struggling. Somebody’s business is failing.And before we know the whole story… we start swimming toward the blood in the water.Then we get close. Close enough to read the comments. Close enough to hear their fear. Close enough to sense their pulse.And we still decide to bite.Now, a shark is doing what a shark was created to do. But human beings have choices… You can literally stop scrolling!We detect vulnerability and instinctively move toward it either with teeth… or with tenderness.That’s the difference between a feeding frenzy and compassion.Wisdom does not ask us to become less perceptive. It asks us what we’re doing with what we perceive.Because the same sensitivity that can locate somebody’s weakness… can also locate how to cover someone vulnerable.Jesus noticed vulnerable people too. But He didn’t rush toward them to consume them. He moved toward them to heal.So before you join the pile-on… before you send the quick response… before you take advantage of somebody else’s exposed moment… slow your BPM.You may be close enough to sense their weakness. Now decide — are you gonna bite, or bring healing?🔥 REMEMBERSensitivity finds the wound. Wisdom decides whether to bite or bring healing.🙏🏽 PRAYERLord, slow my rush and make my instincts compassionate today.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEWhen you notice someone struggling today, resist merely watching or discussing it. Send a supportive message, offer practical help, or protect their dignity by refusing to pass their story along.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱 Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now! Get full access to Hey Fred Lynch! at heyfredlynch.substack.com/subscribe