A man was driving home late one night when he picked up a hitchhiker. As they rode along, the man began to be suspicious of his passenger. He checked to see if his wallet was safe in the pocket of his coat lying on the seat between them, but his wallet was not there! So he slammed on his brakes, told the hitchhiker to get out, and said, “Hand over the wallet now!” The frightened hitchhiker handed over a wallet, and the man drove on. When he got home, he started to tell his wife about his experience, but she interrupted him and said, “Before I forget, do you know you left your wallet at home this morning?” How often do we falsely accuse innocent people? Long ago, the psalmist complained to God that he had been falsely accused of crimes he did not commit. We read this in Psalm 7, “I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me! … If I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice, if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause, then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. Arise, O LORD, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice!” False accusations can be very hurtful. So we should work hard to avoid falsely accusing anyone, and when we do and discover it, we should admit our fault and make amends.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
