Leave That Dog Alone & C Your Way Out

Proverbs 26:17“You grab a mad dog by the ears when you butt into a quarrel that’s none of your business.”Happy National Dog Day for all of my dog lovers out there!Celebrate responsibly. Pet a dog. Give one a treat. Adopt one if you’re ready.But please don’t celebrate by practicing the first half of Proverbs 26:17.Because The Message version says:“You grab a mad dog by the ears when you butt into a quarrel that’s none of your business.”That is so vivid! That dog didn’t invite you into a fight—you invited yourself by grabbing both ears.And grabbing a dog by the ears is a quick way to turn somebody else’s problem into your emergency.When we were kids, we had a slick line for people who kept sliding into conversations that didn’t belong to them:“This is an A and B conversation—so C your way out!”C wasn’t another person. C was an exit strategy—or a free hint for anybody who couldn’t take one.No questions. No commentary. No “I’m just saying.” Take your little C and keep it moving!But grown folks still struggle with this. We see an argument, and deputize ourselves as the Holy Spirit’s new assistant, barging into everybody else’s drama—and then act shocked when somebody bites back.Suddenly we’re saying, “The devil is busy!”Well…the last time I checked, the Holy Spirit wasn’t hiring assistants. But apparently, the devil is!Yeah, sometimes that wasn’t spiritual warfare. You just got bit fooling with a dogfight that never had your name on it.This Proverb isn’t telling us never to help. Compassion and meddling are not the same thing.Compassion asks, “Do you want me here?”Meddling says, “I already made a group chat.”Compassion enters with consent, clarity and responsibility. Meddling enters because we need to feel important, informed or in control.And yes, some situations demand intervention—especially when someone is unsafe or being harmed. But every disagreement is not an emergency, every opinion does not require your rebuttal and every problem is not your assignment.Sometimes wisdom looks like walking away without the last word.Sometimes freedom is realizing you were never hired to fix it.So today, before you enter somebody else’s conflict, pause.Was I invited?Am I responsible?Can I help without becoming another problem?If not, beloved…Let that dog alone…and C your way out.🔥 REMEMBERNot every problem is your assignment. C your way out.🙏🏽 PRAYERGod, give me wisdom to help without hijacking others’ battles.🎯 TODAY’S CHALLENGEFind one conflict you’ve been monitoring but were never assigned to manage. Stop checking, commenting or carrying it for the rest of today.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