Yesterday as I was chatting with a friend in the supermarket a resident of our little town approached us and started telling us how corrupt the owner of the supermarket was. I just turned my back and walked away, but my friend came up for the business owner and kept it up until the man stopped speaking and left. I was so disgusted that someone could have so little respect that he could pull someone apart in his own shop. I wondered why he actually shopped there is that was his opinion. I guess I’ll really never understand people and their motives. And by the way his argument actually meant nothing. There’s really nothing shady going on.
Proverbs has a lot of wisdom and here are a few verses I found that I can apply to this situation:
Proverbs 10:8 The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall.
Verse 9 He who walks integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known.
Verse 10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, but a prating fool will fall.
Verse 12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.
It’s easy to gossip and it’s easy to stir up people’s emotions. It costs nothing to make up lies about people. Or so it seems. But there are always consequences. Unfortunately spreading rumours about people and about businesses, especially in a small place can cause repercussions that aren’t always pleasant.
I have heard so many times that when teenagers and even children spread malicious rumours about their peers that the one whom they gossip about feels so bad and is so ostracized that they commit suicide. There is so much sadness and grief in the world is it really worth using your words to break down people?
James 3:8 But no man can bridle the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
They say talk is cheap, but idle talk can be so destructive. One word in the wrong context, or in the wrong place can lead to endless trouble. That is why we need the armour of God at all times. We have to be so careful to guard our minds with the helmet of salvation. Guard what goes into our minds and guard what we allow our minds to ponder on. We have to have the belt of truth firmly buckled around our waists so that we don’t speak anything that isn’t absolutely true. We can so easily react to the accusing words if we don’t keep the shield of faith in it’s place. Of course without the breastplate of righteousness the rest of the armour doesn’t work at all. We need to have the shoes and the sword ready at all times so that when we speak it will be truth according to the word and not just whatever comes into our heads. It is important to remember that as children of a loving and holy God we cannot react out of anger or indignation. We cannot answer someone who is accusing or gossiping in the same tone or manner that he speaks.
If we are known to be believers, and If we are believers, we shouldn’t be hiding the fact, then we must remember that the world is watching us and if we slip up we will be judged. That might not sound nice but it’s true. Jesus bought us at a great price, the price was His blood, we cannot let Him down by sounding like an unbeliever.
Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.
God sees us all the time. He knows our thoughts and our motives and every little thing about us. We need to be aware of this and we really need to watch what we say. I got upset by what the man in the supermarket said, and I chose to remain silent. My friend chose to defend the shop owner and she did it is a good way. Neither of us was wrong. I think we need to consciously consult God at that moment as so what our reaction should be so that we can always keep the name of Jesus high.
alexfromalexblog 