Pigs Don’t Wear Pearls

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Matthew 7:6 (NIV)

Don’t give your pearls to pigs.

It’s not the pig’s fault it destroyed your pearls. The pig has nothing against pearls. It would’ve trampled anything you threw in there. Rubies, diamonds, emeralds- it wouldn’t have mattered. The pig cares no more about any of these than the other. These precious and expensive jewels hold no value to the pig.

But you know what does? Slop. Pigs love slop. They eat it. It’s gross to us, but it is pearls for pigs. That junk is of the utmost importance to them. They won’t waste it or abuse it, because it’s what they value.

We take care of what we value. You would think if someone valued their pearls then we wouldn’t need to be reminded not to throw them into a pit of slop to be walked over. But here we are.

Seems like common sense. Why even mention it? I mean, duh, right?

Yet here we go again, day after day, throwing away what is valuable on people, situations, and circumstances that only destroy it.

We throw away our faith on people who mock it- thereby forcibly walking all over our hope. We throw away our peace on situations we can’t fix. We throw away our blessing on sins that separate us from the gifts God is so desperately wanting to give us. We are constantly throwing away things of the highest value because we expect everyone and everything around us to value it as much as we do.

But the fact is, pigs don’t wear pearls. Not everyone in your life is going to care about your faith. Not every circumstance is worth your peace. And nothing that separates you from God is worth anything in the long run. It’s all slop.

Don’t get mad at the people around you who don’t value your beliefs. Just don’t throw them your pearls. God didn’t ask us to teach the pigs not to trample the pearls so that we could one day offer them. He said just don’t give them.

This is to protect you and your faith. It’s to keep your relationship with Christ in tact.

Often times we learn something new in our walk with the Lord. We get excited about it and want to share it with everyone. And that’s great. But sometimes what happens is, we end up sharing the details of our precious time with Jesus and someone mocks us or contradicts the very revelation God just gave us.

We feel sad and defeated. We walk away no longer holding the joy that we found in the presence of the Lord. We give up, what was just moments before, of the utmost value.

We cast our pearls before swine.

But I have good news for you. The very next verse in Matthew 7.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8(NIV)

Just ask for more.

God never leaves us empty. He is so faithful. You will learn to identify the pigs in your life, but it will take practice. The Holy Spirit will teach you, and every step along the way He will ensure that you are clothed with riches and adorned with righteousness and beauty.

There is nothing missing that God doesn’t have more of. He is our great Provider- Jehovah-jireh.

Remember, you can’t control what people value. But you can control what you do with what is most precious to you.

“I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10(NIV)

Wear your pearls. For the whole world to see. Just don’t hand them over to those that prefer slop.

Be blessed!