Gentle Instruction

A couple weeks ago, my pastor talked about gossip. The term 'gossip' was defined as 'idle and malicious talk'.

As I reflected upon myself and the people around me, other than a couple of isolated incidents, I didn’t feel as though there was a gossip issue in my workplace or with my (few and far between) friends. However, if idle and malicious talk is the definition, then where I do see a lot of this issue... is online.

It's an election year. The last two presidential elections were particularly polarizing and intense, and it appears this one will be as well. Emotions are running high already. I am consistently seeing - from both sides – hurtful and yes, malicious barbs, name-calling, lies, and finger-pointing.

And not just towards the political candidates themselves, but also towards those who support them. Everyone has an opinion about it, and they are often not kind. Even just this morning, I saw a meme which said, "Even after he is gone, remember the hate you saw in those around you." Truly? Remember the hate? 

Last week I read this verse in 2 Timothy 2:24-25, “And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth."

Listen to God's Word here: Do not be quarrelsome. Be kind. Do not be resentful. Gently instruct. Have hope. Lead to Truth.

We are not called to fight hate with hate. We are called to fight hate... with love. We are not called to be argumentative and to start fights. We are called to be bearers of peace.

Of course, this isn't the only issue we often have backwards in the Church. We fight so hard to "fix" the world around us, yet we frequently ignore the problems within us. Interestingly, no one ever told us to fix the world around us...

Even in the Old Testament, the Law was only for the people of Israel, not the pagan cultures around them. Israel was never instructed to enforce that law on those outside. If someone wanted to convert to Judaism, then they agreed to follow their ways and their God. The people were told not to be influenced by the pluralistic society around them, and to be a Godly example - a light unto the nations. But certainly not to overtake the government, rule the world, or establish their religion by force. (Yes, sometimes God told them to conquer a people group, but it was to maintain the purity of Israel, not to convert through war or establish their kingdom over other people.)

In the New Testament, when you look at the words of Jesus and of Paul and the other disciples, you see a similar message. They were not trying to impose Christian values and morals upon the Roman empire. They wanted to share the good news of Jesus everywhere they could, but that is not the same as trying to enforce their way of life. Rather, over and over again what you see in the New Testament is a message to keep the Church and the Christian community pure and to live out the Gospel through love and service to others.

How many churches do you know who exemplify love and service to others? How many Christians do you know who exemplify love and service to others? 

That is supposed to be how we are known in the world. Consider:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. - 1 Peter 5:12

Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. - Titus 2:8

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4:29

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Colossians 4:5-6

If we are going about with hate in our mouth and bitterness in our hearts, how are we any better than the side we oppose?

No. We must be better.

"Remember the hate" bothers me because it perpetuates hate. It continues the cycle. People only know what they've been exposed to, what they've been raised with, what they've seen and been taught. If someone never has the opportunity to see things from a different perspective, to put themself in another's shoes, or to come to know the object of their prejudice, chances are, they will repeat what they know.

If people full of fear and hate are met with equal fear and hate, it confirms their worldview and doesn't give them the opportunity to reevaluate, to see things a new way, or to change.

No one changes through hate and malicious talk.

What changes people? Love. 

Well, God. God is the ultimate change-maker. But God often reaches people through love extended by His people.

If we truly want to see change in the world. If we truly want to see hearts and souls turned to God. If we truly want others to know Him and praise Him and live Godly lives.

First - it starts with us. We have no business pointing at the specks in the world's eye when we refuse to see the log in our own.

Second - we don't do it through politics and passing restrictive laws and hating on those who oppose us. We don't do it through establishing an Earthly Kingdom or a "Christian nation" (it should be noted that throughout history, mixing Christianity with nationalism has NOT gone well).

We do it through LOVE. Love for each other. Love for our neighbor. Love for our enemies.

God's love, moving through us, equipping us to do good works.

So next time you're tempted to spit out idle and malicious talk about someone, whether someone you know personally or not, whether in person or online, consider... is this loving? Is this honoring to God? Is this honoring to the image of God which every single person in this world reflects?

Or not.

And, if we disagree with someone, whether it be over theology or politics or cultural values, consider how you might approach that situation with gentle instruction, remembering we are only responsible for the Church, not for the whole world.

I find this message personally convicting. I know during the previous election cycle, I struggled with this. I struggled to understand how Christian men and women who professed a commitment to follow Christ could also religiously follow someone who exemplified the opposite of Christian morals and values. I tried to convince Christians that this alignment with a political figure would tarnish the witness of the Church. I tried not to get personal in my arguments, but I was angry. Hurt and confused, too. 

This time around, I am praying for grace. I am praying for understanding. I still believe aligning Christianity with nationalism and politics - whichever political party one aligns with - is harmful. I believe many things over the past eight years have tarnished the witness of the Church, and it will take years to overcome the stigma now attached to our name.

But I have hope. How? Because I know our God. I know He can redeem any mess. And regardless of what happens in our country, He is still God. 

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart lift HIM up. May I season my conversations - and even this blog - with grace. May those I may have harmed previously forgive me. And may we move forward together.

"When you know better, do better." - Maya Angelou