Separating Wolves from Sheep (Part 1)

In the animal kingdom it is easy to spot a wolf moving in on the sheep. Shepherds are never confused identifying the predator even when his sharp carnivore teeth are covered.

If only it were so simple with people, how much safer we would be. But with humans appearance doesn't give away the wolves. Recently, I checked a law-enforcement website to view the addresses and pictures of all convicted sex offenders within a 10 mile radius of our home. Some of the mug-shot faces did look "creepy" or potentially dangerous. But just as many perpetrators looked like nice people, ordinary neighborly people.

How many times have you seen news coverage of neighbors declaring, "He seemed to be such a nice guy" when speaking of a neighbor who was a murderer or a rapist?

So how do we spot the pretenders? How do we identify men and women who steal another's sense of self-worth through imbalance of power, systematic belittling, and manipulation?

I don't believe there is any sure-fire way to avoid all abusers, but I have been learning some things are a help.

First, it makes a huge difference to ask God directly for wisdom and guidance. Ask God to lead you to healthy relationships. Ask him to help you to understand/discern another's character and intentions. We are so easily fooled by window dressing, but God sees hearts. He is never fooled.

In tomorrow's post, I will share another wolf-spotting tip.