15Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall
ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
I know it's hard to see people post things about you and not want to retaliate or comment. It's tough when you see people being rude, or even posting things that you disagree with and not want to share your opinion. But take in consideration what Jesus did when people were lying AT HIS TRIAL about things He had done that weren't true in Matthew 27:12-14:
12And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
Sometimes, the best response is none at all. People who don't know Christ respond with venom and gossip. It's expected. But if we are to be like Christ, we must respond with wisdom and love.
Here's why people post on the internet but never confront face to face or have a real conversation:
1. They Want Everyone on Their Side
When it comes to confrontation, people who post on social media don't care about the actual person or problem. They just want to be right and want attention. So if people see "their" side, then they win. If all you care about is winning an argument, you may lose more than you gain.
2. They Are Cowards
People are real bold and powerful sitting behind a computer or a phone. But as I just stated, the goal is not to make things right, it's to make THEM right. Confrontation should always be about making a situation right and the end result being love and a peaceful relationship. Cowards care for neither. Most bullies are cowards. Bullies go away when you stop giving them power...or attention in this situation.
3. They Have Unresolved Issues
Hurt people hurt people. It's that simple. 9 times out of 10 people who spew venom, snide comments, or make jabs on the internet have deep unresolved bitterness in their hearts. Jesus tells us that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks". (Matthew 12:34) Bitterness destroys people. And it destroys the people around them.
So the next time you want to comment or tweet something about someone, or at someone because it's "easier" than doing it in person; please don't. Pause, pray, and respond as Jesus did. If it's something that is eating at you, talk to the person. And remember the end goal: Love and a peaceful relationship/resolution. Practice giving people hope, not hell. Encouraging words and a peaceful spirit will develop wisdom and compassion. Otherwise, you end up bitter and always mad. That's how the Pharisees lived. Jesus wants so much more for us.
Always speak words of life...not death.
No comments:
Post a Comment