Our mouths can be cruel or loving

Acts 17:13-14, New King James Version (NKJV)
The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., 
"But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds."

Heb 10:24-25, (NKJV)
  "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Ephesians 2:10, (NKJV)
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

John 3:16-18, (NKJV)

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

My Comments: In families, communities even in the International scene we see gossip being spread like a cancer to hurt and destroy others and relationships. We also, see it in churches the one place one would think it would not be yet because we have so much pride and want to be thought of more highly than we should we say things that damage others and their relationships.

True there are often reasons we say for telling what we know. That person cheated on their spouse, that child stole and went to detention, that person lied to me. You name it I am sure you know things you have heard or even said about someone. Should you have? If it would cause the harm of another and not bring them into right relationship with their Savior then probably “No.’” Yet is it needed to have attention brought to it like when Paul told the Church of Corinth that allowing incest to continue was not what they should do? Then probably “Yes," we should say something. 

Everyone had talked about it because it got back to Paul. The Leaders at Corinth should have talked to the two people to bring them into right alignment with God’s Commands. But it would not have been told as children tell. It was to be told lovingly so the couple would stop and be welcomed back into the fellowship with the Church. Never another word would or should have been said about it to anyone. In this story of Paul writing to the Church of Corinth we just know the man was accepted back but we do not hear what happened to the women. He came back to the family of God.

It is important for us to be in relationship with our families and those we worship with. Both require interaction between members for growth and strength and lifting up. We are cautioned to not forsake the gathering because God made us to need interaction with Him and with others. Both interactions help grow us.

It is about bringing the family of God back into right relationship with God through lovingly talking to them. Then if need be the consequence of exclusion is applied so the person will with remorse, repent to God and then relationship is restored. We are all sinners. We all fall. We then confess our sin to God, this is repentance, and we again have right relationship with God. We are His workmanship and we are created in Christ Jesus when we accept His gift of Salvation and it is for us to do good works in His name. What good works can we do if we are hitting on people to make ourselves feel better about what sinners we are? We cannot do good tearing others down!

This same thing applies to families, countries and the world. There are things at each level that is to be shared in order for people to not fall for lies yet one should be careful what they repeat or start themselves and weigh the consequences. We only are told to go to Believers. To the world we show the right way to live as Christ Jesus and we pray they will want to know our Lord so they will find reconciliation with God the Father who loves them and wants them to come to Him through His Son who He sent to obtain salvation for them as well as for us.

Abba Father, help us to always go to you when we are tempted to repeat things we have heard or even seen. Help us to be loving when we go to a Brother or Sister about what we perceive they may be doing that offends You. Give us the words we should say to them and help us to know if we should go to the Elders or our Pastors when we have done all we can to help bring our Brothers and Sisters into right relationship with You. Help us to always pray about all situations and only act when You prompt us to do so. Not because we want to “bring someone to their knees,” or pay them back for hurting us or someone else, or whatever reason we might give ourselves to give us permission to gossip. You are God and we are not, let us never forget this. When we are tempted to repeat things close our mouths and give us a way of leaving a gossiping situation.

Thank You Jesus for coming to save us from sin and for taking sin upon Yourself in our place. Help us to love others as You love them. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we will learn from Him all that we should in Your Word and will not fall to temptations.

 In Jesus name we pray in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rebishka