Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. – Matthew 7:6 This is probably the most sensible thing Jesus said in his sermon on the mount. Not that it’s easy to accomplish practically, but by far the easiest of the things he said logically. That is only because everything else Jesus said was so countercultural to what we learned about life and power in this life. However I digress. So dogs and pigs are affectionately symbols of men, at least they are to the majority of women who have been victim to the animal-like behavior of men, and we all know this. If you’re man, you can feel comfortable and safe enough to admit you know you sometimes act like stupid dogs, and your room, according to your mom or sister, looks like a pigpen. People in general despite all their creativity and mental prowess can act like animals. Am I right? We sometimes don’t show mercy to others. At best, we decide to settle out of court as opposed to suing outright. We almost never show gratitude because nothing is ever on par with our expectations. We can’t admire beauty so we knock it down and build a characterless strip mall. Are these not true? Let’s ask ourselves, how forgiving were we the last time somebody crossed us like a black cat underneath a ladder? If memory serves me right, you’re still not on speaking terms! I mean, sure you’ll “like” Facebook posts but you won’t dare leave a comment. I mean you’re still complaining about how the waiter at the restaurant brought you a bottle of Poland Spring as opposed to Aquafina. Shall I continue? I shall. I want you to think about what you did with that watch your grandfather gave you. Do you even have it? What about your mother’s ring that was passed down for 14 generations, where’s that at? Let’s scale it down to a lessor degree, are you using your iPhone to protect you from the elements? Was it me, or did you just throw that cell phone, your parents bought you into the wall because their conversation with you, once a month mind you, disturbed your so called inner peace? All of this boils down to appropriateness. God ain’t a fool. Just because you ask God for a Maserati, doesn’t mean He’s going to give it to you. It’s especially true if you can’t handle the pinto. Some of you tell me that when you pray, you receive nothing from God. I tell you that you receive His hearing you out, but you can’t receive His things if you’re going to act like dogs and pigs because animals don’t understand what to do with people things, let alone, God things. God’s things are not only holy, but they’re also valuable. Next time you ask God, because you you know He gives, ask yourself: am I human enough to receive or just a dog and a pig. Then reflect on, with somber judgement, without logs in your eyes whether you shall be able to find God’s gift in your search for it. I pray that we appropriately understand the gifts God wants to bestow on us.