The Con Artist by Patricia Tichonoff

A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but his malice will be revealed to the whole assembly. Proverbs 26:24  (ESV) 

Every day we are attacked by con artists by media, phone, person to person and even through the mail. It’s so exhausting! I wake up in the morning with good intentions and excited about the day only to be interrupted by these characters.

How do we handle ourselves when we meet the Cons? Can we avoid them? I’ve been known to roll my eyes and when I do, it creates even more interaction on the con’s part. Now, they realize I am catching on to their antics. What should I do?   

God gives us directions to help us through these trials. The first thing is to control our own actions. Don’t give them the benefit of the doubt and try to seek the truth. 

In using godly tactics, we must avoid taking their words personally and instead choose to be mature. Right in the beginning we need to set firm boundaries. We ultimately know the difference between truth and lies. Stand firm as Jesus did with the money changers in the temple.

While it's important to set firm boundaries and stand up for what is right, remember that a key part of handling the situation is to be wise and to handle the Con with a blend of patience, honesty, and strength. We should also rely on prayer to cope with the injustice.

Although they can be quite irritating, we need to listen before we start lashing out and give them the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes their thinking or differences are not bad, just off track, causing them not to find the Truth. Kindness usually wins.  

In Proverbs 19:11 (BSB) we read: Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is His glory to overlook an offense. This tells me, try not to be angry but try to give grace to those offensive ones. Believe me, it can be hard, but we need to practice silent prayers while having conversation with the Con. It may help you both.

God Can Hear Even Your Silent Prayers

Father, life is full of trickery, deceit and lies. It has gone on for centuries. Help us to know and understand the battles we face each day, to be more like Your Son, Jesus, to show compassion, kindness and love to those who need Your love, grace, and mercy. AMEN.