PHILISTINISM

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Matthew 7:6

REFERENCE
Matthew 7:6

Philistinism is a derogatory term that describes the ‘manners, habits, and character’ of a person who undervalues and despises art and beauty. Thus, a ‘philistine’ is someone who does not care about or understand good art, music, or literature, and do not think that they are important. So, if you are an art dealer, it will be a miscalculation on your part to make ‘philistines’ your target audience, and it will be a complete waste of your precious time to plan your marketing strategies around them. Art is simply not their cup of tea; so, they won’t patronize you.

When Jesus said, “do not cast your pearls before swine,” He was invariably saying, ‘don’t bother selling art to a ‘philistine’ – do not waste good things on people that won’t value and appreciate them. This principle cuts across all aspects of life – career, relationship, business, etc., e.g. if you sell high-end luxury brands but your shop is located in a low-income area, it will be difficult for your business to break even or even survive because the people around where it is located aren’t thinking of buying brand-names because of their taste and economy, so they won’t appreciate or patronize what you offer. If the terms are reversed you will also get the same results, i.e. if you sell cheap brands but your shop is located in a highbrow income area, the residents will be wary of shopping at your store because what you are offering won’t be classy for them.

Even in relationships; some eligible singles are in relationships that aren’t leading anywhere near marriage because the people they are dating simply can’t value or appreciate their qualities – they don’t consider them to be special; thus, they are just wasting precious time in such relationships. Seriously, no matter how eligible a single is, until he/she meets the kind of guy/girl that values them, marriage may yet delay.

So, are you exerting a lot of energy doing your best to attract the people and the market that would cause growth and elevation in your life but not getting the right results? The reason may be that you have been trying to sell art to ‘philistines’ – ‘casting your pearls before swine.’ It is not that these ‘philistines’ around you are wicked or ruthless; it is simply that they genuinely cannot value or appreciate what you are offering.

May God release upon you, the wisdom to help you steer yourselves away from ‘philistines’ and to come into the company of those who seek and pray for what you carry; those who are ready to buy into your idea, who are ready to pay for your gifts and skills, who are ready to dance to your music and whom when they see you, they say, “Yes, this is the lady/guy I’ve been waiting for, let’s get married or lets hire him/her

SCRIPTURE PHOTO

ADDITIONAL STUDY
Genesis 41:1-44, Isaiah 30:21 (ESV), & I Samuel 16:17-22

PRAYER POINT
Ask for wisdom that would enable you discern what is obscure and not evident to the average mind; that God will direct you to connect with those that will appreciate and patronize what you have to offer in in your field of endeavor.