Over the past few months, several of our church families have abruptly left, and many of those people had been workers, Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, active and faithful. Then one day, without any apparent warning, they’re gone, and you have to ask yourself why. What happened? What caused them to suddenly leave the church without a word to anyone.
People have a need to feel loved, cared for, appreciated, encouraged, and one of the roles of the church is edification of the saints. (By the way, the church is not the building, but the people.) Romans 15:2 says, “Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.” Edification means spiritual improvement; enlightenment. So then, every church member is to encourage every other church member in the things of God to help them grow spiritually. Are we doing that, or do we take every opportunity to gossip behind someone’s back and spread rumors?
In speaking of women, particularly widows, I Timothy 5:13 says, “And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” These women were busybodies and gossips, sharing things they had no business talking about. I certainly hope we don’t have that problem in our church, but if we do, it will harm the body of Christ and drive people away. And the hurtful things we say do not edify anyone.
How should we act toward our brothers and sisters in Christ? I put together a few verses to remind us of our responsibility to them.
James 1:26 says, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” God wants His children to control their tongues. James 3:6 says, “…the tongue is a fire…” And it’s easier to prevent a fire than to put one out. The damage left behind scars the one who was burned.
Romans 13:9-10 says, ” …Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” If we love our neighbor as we should, we will not want to hurt them with our words because love worketh no ill to his neighbour.
Matthew 7:12 says, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Do we treat others the way we would like them to treat us – with kindness and respect?
Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Are we kind and gentle toward others, taking into consideration what we say and how we say it? It is our responsibility to show kindness toward others.
And finally, Colossians 3:13 says, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” We have an obligation to show mercy and to forgive others as God has forgiven us.
The devil wants to hinder the work of God, to dismember His children, to destroy their testimonies, to create friction among God’s people any way he can. He’ll do anything to thwart God’s work in the church and in the lives of every believer, especially if the church is doctrinally sound and preaching the Truth. And he’ll start with the little things – unthankfulness, bickering, a little gossip, an unkind word or deed – anything to interrupt our unity in Christ. Don’t be a participant. Don’t let it happen in your church.
John 13:35 says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Are we as believers showing the world that we are in fact the disciples of Christ because we love one another? Not if we are failing to honor Christ by our words, attitudes, and actions.