Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Proverbs 26:17 - "He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."
Geoffrey Chaucer knew something about human nature when he wrote in his medieval poetry, "It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake." He understood that sometimes the wisest thing you can do is leave well enough alone. There was even an earlier French version that said essentially the same thing: don't wake the sleeping dog.
Anyone who's ever been around dogs knows exactly what this means. You see an old hound sleeping peacefully in the sun, and common sense tells you to walk quietly around him. Sure, he might be friendly when he's awake, but startle him out of a deep sleep and you might get a very different reaction. Better to let him wake up naturally than to poke him and find out the hard way that he doesn't appreciate being disturbed.
Solomon understood this principle too, long before Chaucer wrote about it. He said that getting involved in someone else's fight is like grabbing a dog by the ears. You're asking for trouble, and you're probably going to get bit for your efforts. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is step back and let peaceful situations stay peaceful.
Now, I'm not talking about ignoring real problems or turning your back when someone genuinely needs help. There are times when we absolutely need to get involved, times when love requires us to step into difficult situations. But there's a difference between helping someone who's asking for help and stirring up trouble where there doesn't need to be any.
We all know people who seem to specialize in waking sleeping dogs. They bring up old hurts that had been forgiven and forgotten. They ask questions that are designed to start arguments. They poke at sensitive subjects just to see what kind of reaction they'll get. They meddle in marriages and friendships and family relationships that were getting along just fine without their input.
Friend, sometimes wisdom means knowing when to speak up and when to keep quiet. Sometimes love means getting involved, and sometimes it means staying out of it. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is walk quietly around that sleeping dog and let him rest in peace.
Before you wake up an old controversy, ask yourself: is this really going to help anyone, or am I just satisfying my own curiosity? Before you bring up that past mistake, consider whether it needs to be discussed or whether it's better left buried. Before you get in the middle of that family dispute, think about whether your involvement will bring peace or just make things worse.
There are enough real problems in this world that need our attention. We don't need to go around creating new ones by waking sleeping dogs.
Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to stay quiet, when to get involved and when to let sleeping dogs lie. Amen.
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