Christian people should not be gossiping nor should we be criticizing others. I am so uncomfortable when I speak with a believer who has a grievance with another and will voice it in a "catty way". I expect that in the workplace and other secular settings but not with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We all have been wronged and we all have been hurt and I certainly know that we all don't like one another but the Lord does expect us to bear proper witness for Him and we are to pray and love our enemies. Take those negative feelings to the Lord in your own private way and He will help you heal. I had to let go of so much anger and hurt and resentment in my life and when I released it to God I felt so free. He began to heal other relationships I had and began to bless me with peace and true joy. I don't like to tell others how to think or correct them when they speak but I will let them know I am uncomfortable with their conversation. I don't believe it is enough to simply walk away. I believe the Lord wants us to be bold and stand up for Him and share His Words and let the person/group know it is not of God to gossip or make fun or talk about another without them present. I had someone from church make fun of someone else in our church to me and I was appalled and so taken aback. We are to be righteous and holy in our daily life. We are witnesses for the Lord and if someone knows you are a child of God and you are condoning or going along with such language and behavior you are representing Him in a very poor light. If we all could just slow down and remind ourselves each day that everything we say and everything we do now will be made accountable later when we stand before our Father in heaven and everything we do will reap consequences. I had to remove a child from my class yesterday morning because he would not say he was sorry to one of his fellow class mates for something he did. He was being disrespectful to me, the class and more than that Jesus, and I had to discipline him and show the young children that his behavior and treatment of his "brother" was not pleasing to God and he would suffer the consequence. As small children need to be reminded of this, so do we as adults. So my prayer today is for peace and harmony in the lives of others. That relationships are restored and made whole again and that we all bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. May our actions, words and thoughts be reflective of God's goodness and may His grace shine upon us so that others will be drawn to Him. And it is in His name I ask these things. Amen.
"Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy" - Psalm 101:5
"The words of a talebearer [a gossiper!] are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly"- Proverbs 18:8
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