I’ve noticed on Facebook that there are those who take information, ideas and videos from other people’s pages and re-post to theirs without giving any credit or notice to whomever they got it from.

To see them accept compliments and praise from their friends as though it was their thoughts and experiences they were sharing, still shocks me, even though I’ve been around for a while.

Perhaps I could understand if these were not people who call themselves Spirit-filled Christians.

To borrow someone else’s material(s) and front it as your own, is not only dishonest but it’s in rather poor taste.

I think people who are not secure in themselves do this. Everyone has a gift and we are not in competition here.

One might say that it should not matter — as long as the message gets out. I’ve considered that. It has merit.

But even the apostles got tired of the devil following them around all the time and one turned on her and put them down the road. Made some people mad though….

I want to go on record as saying that if you do not approve of someone, or you have ought at the way they live their life, then at least have the decency not to use their material.

I think we Pentecostals have done quite enough of that. If you sing their songs, copy their style and borrow from things they’ve written, yet reject then as an individual, you are not only harming that person, but yourself as well.

Those kind of actions will come back to you one day and you will receive the same treatment you have given to others.

Some of us have done that in the past and have not been big enough to ask for forgiveness.

We later accepted some of those folks, but never apologized for the hurt we caused them.

Building on the work and foundation someone else toiled to lay and strove for, and not giving honor and credit to those who first began the work, falls in the same category.

The scripture teaches to give honor where it is due. One may have a large church and direct a big choir today, but unless you built it yourself from scratch, you owe others at least the dignity of mentioning their name and not taking all the glory and honor for yourself.

I didn’t mean to say all that… but I guess it’s what’s in my heart.

If they have since lost their way, or don’t have the favor they once did, it does not change or delete the hard work they did in helping to build what you now claim as your own.

It seems some who fly high today and enjoy a special place have forgotten that if someone else had not loved them and gave them a hand, they would not be where they are today.

These people wonder why they never fully succeed.

There are some great spirits sharing here on Facebook. These people always honor others and they are certain that if they share someone else’s posts, they give notice to the person they borrowed it from.

Those kind of spirits here make this a rewarding place to share with others.

These are also the ones who lift you up and encourage you. It reassures me that there are still people who are striving to keep the right spirit and show love to others, regardless of what anyone else is doing.

I pray that if we should meet one day that we really are as loving and kind and speak as politely as we do here.

I’m not claiming this note came from The LORD — but I do think He sees truth in it.

First published: July 10, 2011.

~ Robert Blackburn

---

Robert Blackburn

 

 

Back to Top