There are six things that the Lord hates, seven things detestable to him: snobbish eyes, a lying tongue, hands that spill innocent blood, a heart set on wicked plans, feet that run quickly to evil, a false witness who breathes lies, and one who causes conflicts among relatives. Proverbs 6:16-19
There was a lady in the church who started a hateful rumor. She told a lie to a confidant in the congregation. From this little spark came a flicker of discourse. From the flicker of discourse came the engulfing flame and smoke of an almost entire ruination of this little church. Half of the congregation left. The pastor also resigned his post. Those who remained felt battered, betrayed, and saddened over these disheartening events.
It can start with a snobbish prideful someone who wants recognition. A lie is fabricated, and a conflict is put into action. The discourse gains momentum as what was once a unified family becomes siblings taking sides in a heated full-out battle. Leaving its debris far outside the warzone into the community, this combat may split the church. The battle scars cause a tarnished witness for Christ, maybe even a disenfranchisement of the established church.
The Lord hates these kind of things. He loves the human beings He has created and wants reconciliation; however, the acts of pride, lies, and evil schemes, He detests. If you have been injured in one of these scandals, remember this: we serve a living God, not people. Imperfect people make up the congregation. We need to remove ourselves from rumors and lies.
We are a witness to those in the dark, but churches who produce black smoke obscure the path that leads to Christ. Keep your eyes, mind, and heart fixed on Christ, the author and finisher of your faith, so that you will not take part in an act which God finds detestable. Proverbs 26:20 says, Without wood a fire goes out; without gossips, conflict calms down. Don’t become a part of fueling the fire unless the fire you’re spreading is love, mercy, and forgiveness.
Dear Father, Help me to run from temptation and evil. Through Christ Jesus I pray, Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment