I’m honored today to welcome
fellow Christian author, Jennifer Slattery, to share a relevant message about
unity within the body of Christ. Jennifer has recently released her second
novel, “When Dawn Breaks.” Information about this book is at the end of the
post.
Welcome, Jennifer!
When wronged, it’s tempting to
tell the world about our injustice, although in the Christian community, we
like to cloak it as a prayer request, venting, or “seeking wise counsel.”
But is venting biblical or
could it, in fact, lead to destructive division in the body of Christ?
Consider Ephesians 4:29 NIV:
29 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.
According to this verse, we
need to guard our words carefully, speaking only words that “build others up”
and “benefit those who listen.” We must remember it is not about us—our feelings, rights, or
vindication. It is about knowing Christ and making Him known.
The greatest way we make Christ
known is through love and Christian unity.
Why does Paul urge us to guard
our words and purify our hearts? To answer this, we must read a few previous
verses:
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of
the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called. (Ephesians 4:3-4)
Make every effort to
keep the unity of the Spirit.
When we vent, our goal usually
is not to seek peace for the situation, as verse 3 commands, but instead, to
make ourselves feel better. But at what cost? Our listener only hears one side, and most often, the “offending
party” isn’t given a chance to defend themselves. Because of this, our listener
is likely to develop judgments based on what they hear. Unfortunately, the
“offending party” often learns of this and becomes uncomfortable around all
involved. This creates ripples of disunity that lead to distrust that may be
irreparable.
This might be why Jesus laid
out clear instructions on how to handle conflict in Matthew 18:15:
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have
won them over.”
He didn’t say, “Gather your
prayer group and rehash the situation.”
Nor did He say, “Vent to your
friends so you can ‘get it off your chest’ and feel better.”
No. He admonished us to keep
the matter “between the two of you.”
According to Scripture, when
wronged, the first thing we must do is address the individual, keeping the
matter between us.
If the matter still isn’t
revolved, we are to move to the next step.
But if they will not listen, take one or
two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the
testimony of two or three witnesses’ (Matthew 18:16)
Basically, we are to keep the
issue between as few of people as possible, making sure to include the
individual. That’s not to say we can’t ask others for prayer nor that we can’t
seek advice, but when doing so, we should keep things on a “need to know”
basis. Our prayer group probably doesn’t need to know the story. In fact,
most times you don’t even need to mention names.
In everything we do, may we put
unity and love above all else, guarding our tongue so that we speak words that
build up, encourage, and inspire.
What are some ways you’ve put
this to practice in your own life, and what were the results? Have you been
privy to a prayer-group gossip chain? How did that feel, and what were the
results? Share your thoughts in the comments below so we
can all learn from each other.
Jennifer Slattery writes soul-stirring fiction for New
Hope Publishers, a publishing house passionate about bringing God’s healing
grace and truth to the hopeless. She also writes for Crosswalk.com, Internet
Café Devotions, and the group blog, Faith-filled Friends. When not writing, Jennifer
loves going on mall dates with her teenage daughter and coffee dates with her
handsome railroader husband.
Visit with Jennifer
online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.
When Dawn Breaks:
As the hurricane forces Jacqueline to evacuate,
her need for purpose and restitution motivate her to head north to her
estranged and embittered daughter and into the arms of a handsome new friend. However,
he’s dealing with a potential conspiracy at work, one that could cost him
everything, and Jacqueline isn’t sure if he will be the one she can lean on
during the difficult days ahead. And then there are the three orphans to
consider, especially Gavin. Must she relinquish her chance at having love again
in order to be restored?
Read a free, 36-page
excerpt here: http://issuu.com/newhopedigital/docs/slattery_sampler/1
You can buy a copy here:
On Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-dawn-breaks-a-novel-jennifer-slattery/1120694122?ean=9781596694231
On CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/when-dawn-breaks-a-novel/jennifer-slattery/9781596694231/pd/694231
