- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 18,404
Tongue-tied
'I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue' Psalm 39:1
You know the score: what starts off as a cosy chat between friends ('My sister Nina's pregnant and I'm so happy, I can't wait to be an auntie...') is wrongly overheard and via Chinese whispers around school quickly becomes, 'Cecilia in Year 9 is pregnant and this is her second baby!'
Now this may sound funny - unless you're Cecilia. Having slanderous accusations thrown around school about you is never fun. For all kind of reasons, usually insecurities, people are wrongly confronted with some outrageous untruth about themselves or their family.
Our natural response is to fly off the handle and 'give the lying little toerag what for!' It's extremely difficult to keep silent when others tear us down because we want to protect our reputation. It's not easy to stay silent while others assault something so precious to us.
But we don't need to lash out in revenge or justify our position; we can trust God to protect our reputation. Romans 8: 31-37 says; 'If God is for us who can be against us? ... who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? ... Shall trouble or hardship or persecution ... No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us' (NIV).
Jesus was silent before His accusers (Luke 23: 9 10). He left His case in God's hands (1 Pet. 2:21-24) This is a good place to leave our case too. Don't fight slander with anger, trust God and pray, 'guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue.'
written by Bob Gass
'I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue' Psalm 39:1
You know the score: what starts off as a cosy chat between friends ('My sister Nina's pregnant and I'm so happy, I can't wait to be an auntie...') is wrongly overheard and via Chinese whispers around school quickly becomes, 'Cecilia in Year 9 is pregnant and this is her second baby!'
Now this may sound funny - unless you're Cecilia. Having slanderous accusations thrown around school about you is never fun. For all kind of reasons, usually insecurities, people are wrongly confronted with some outrageous untruth about themselves or their family.
Our natural response is to fly off the handle and 'give the lying little toerag what for!' It's extremely difficult to keep silent when others tear us down because we want to protect our reputation. It's not easy to stay silent while others assault something so precious to us.
But we don't need to lash out in revenge or justify our position; we can trust God to protect our reputation. Romans 8: 31-37 says; 'If God is for us who can be against us? ... who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? ... Shall trouble or hardship or persecution ... No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us' (NIV).
Jesus was silent before His accusers (Luke 23: 9 10). He left His case in God's hands (1 Pet. 2:21-24) This is a good place to leave our case too. Don't fight slander with anger, trust God and pray, 'guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue.'
written by Bob Gass
