Myth Buster part 3

This may be the most important of the points in the Myth Buster series. The first point blows up the theory that Christians are supposed to sit quietly with their hands in their laps while timidly offering encouraging words to those who need it. That is not the how we are to demonstrate a "gentle and meek spirit." Let a college student who has just witnessed our God and creator be degraded and disrespected, who rightfully becomes enraged, try to navigate those waters while trying to hold true to that misunderstood meaning. The second point explains, even though "quiet spirit" does not mean you cannot express yourself, it is imperative that the words we use are edifying and carefully selected by the holy spirit in every situation. There are situations where it is justified and even called for, to rebuke, exhort, or even be angry. But there is never situational justification for us to sin. I am not saying we will never sin. I AM saying situations never make it justified. Words are too powerful to not be chosen with the upmost caution.

Our third point is offensive and challenging. It can be misunderstood and confused and I suspect most of us have this as a common sin in our heart and we do not even know it is there and, in turn, it interferes with our relationship with Christ. It is practiced by most Christians, myself included, and is, or at least can be, as devastating as adultery, thievery, or drunkenness. You may be thinking, "What in the world could I do that would be that devastating?!?!" The answer is gossip.

Scripture is very clear on the power of words. And most people including myself have deceived ourselves into believing, "that wasn't gossip." The true definition of a gentle and quiet spirit is to be self-controlled and content, for our heart to be set on Christ and not be easily lured into drama and strife, to live peaceably. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14. When we are angry, hurt, or frustrated it is so easy to spout off about how we have been wronged. We live in a society in which we would much rather discuss any grievance with the entire community instead of the person by whom we were hurt. Why is that?!?! My friend, please hear what I have to say, if you are unwilling to address the issue with the person or people involved first, you must not speak of it with someone else. This goes directly to the point that our behavior must not be determined by circumstances.  “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." Matthew 18:15. God wants us to resolve our issues especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ so we can have unity in our hearts. "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Psalm 133:1  

We must forgive. It is our commission as children of God. His law is not given to us to require us to do seemingly insurmountable tasks. It is out of God's great love for us that EVERY law was written. He wants what is best for us in every situation and He knows that for us to harbor unforgiveness in our hearts is harmful to US. To gossip about our hurts and sorrow causes strife and multiplies the offense in our own heart and causes others who love us to hurt as well. How many times I have been hurt by a misunderstanding, or I assumed a motive that was inaccurate, shared the incident with a friend, only to be madder when I was finished than when I started, AND so was my friend! That's not godly.

We are to love each other enough to try to resolve issues with our brothers and sisters in Christ. If this is attempted without success we must seek godly counsel from someone who will be impartial, not someone who will just climb in the boat with us and our hurt feelings and row us down the river of resentment. There is more about this process in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. When we have hard feelings in our heart toward anyone who is in the body of Christ it separates us from God. This blog is about the tools it takes to grow Closer to Christ. This is a biggie! It is overlooked because we are not comfortable talking about our own sin. That's not fun! We would much rather discuss the sins of other people! When it comes to us, we want to stick to talking about those sins we would NEVER commit. It is time we look at ourselves. The road Closer to Christ is our own road and our own journey for us to take or not. A true gentle and quiet spirit is evidence of a position close to Christ. And it is visible to others. Do we have it? If we don't, taming the tongue and healing relationships is a perfect place to start because out of our true love and devotion for Christ flows true heartfelt love for others.

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. James 1:26