Puritanhead
Puritan Board Professor
This was my blogspot for the day March 6.
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With online interaction, misreading an e-mail or chat conversation is quite easy compared to in-person interaction, so people need to be sensitive and not to quick to react.
Myself, I see the folly of spiting an antagonist with foolishness and hasty remarks. I've made the mistake of getting angry, and sitting on it, and then telling someone off. In my mind, I rarely get angry without just cause. Nonetheless, Christ tells us to turn the other cheek, and bless our enemies as surely as we bless our neighbors and loved ones.
Gossip too, causes problems. It is an attack on the life of our brother or sister, and eggregious offense that should be shunned. Though, there is a Biblical mode for telling others of offenses committed against us by a sinning brother, but only after we patiently pleaded the cause with our offending brother.
In college, I have known of respectable Christian women to suffer immense slander and backbiting by others, though some may never have even realized it. Sometimes others belittle the reputation of women and wrongly question their chastity and allege promiscuity. Women may do this to other women often out of jealously. I've seen it happened, and tried to tacitly tell them they shouldn't do that. Guys do it to get back at women. Such offenses are in many cases slanderous falsehoods, and this is a most eggregious way to hurt a person. Yet I have known people to be casual in this arena.
Some persons have no love for peace; they love to stir up trouble (Prv. 15:18; 16:27-28; 26:21; 29:22). Good men bury the past and forgive (Prv. 10:12; 17:9; I Pet 4:8). The good seek to make peace at all times (Jas 3:17-18).
[Edited on 3-8-2006 by Puritanhead]
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I've been reading the Biblical exhortations about the tongue. Colossians 4:6 reminds us, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." I have not always been sound in this area. It relates to how we answer people in our day-to-day conversation, and we should be reflective and considerate of our brothers, and speak with Christian grace. Sometimes, there are matters not appropriate to speak of to others.
Likewise, for any victims of slander (which I know of adequately), you learn to fathom the grave implications and wrong caused by the tongue.
Some sin with their tongue by assuming the worst of others, and gossiping and backbiting. Others just have lack of self-control and are quick to respond with spitefulness and scorn, and some misread people and are overly sensitive.
The person who gossips maliciously doesn't really care about others, especially the ones they're gossiping about. They really care more about themselves. I have grown disgruntled over certain types of personalities that get their satisfaction in belittling others and being quarrelsome. Some are so flagrant as to convey their insults in front of the person to others. Those with a penchant for fomenting strife and discord cause a lot of unnecessary harm. It's a shame that Christians seem to be worse than your non-Christians in this area.
With online interaction, misreading an e-mail or chat conversation is quite easy compared to in-person interaction, so people need to be sensitive and not to quick to react.
Myself, I see the folly of spiting an antagonist with foolishness and hasty remarks. I've made the mistake of getting angry, and sitting on it, and then telling someone off. In my mind, I rarely get angry without just cause. Nonetheless, Christ tells us to turn the other cheek, and bless our enemies as surely as we bless our neighbors and loved ones.
Gossip too, causes problems. It is an attack on the life of our brother or sister, and eggregious offense that should be shunned. Though, there is a Biblical mode for telling others of offenses committed against us by a sinning brother, but only after we patiently pleaded the cause with our offending brother.
In college, I have known of respectable Christian women to suffer immense slander and backbiting by others, though some may never have even realized it. Sometimes others belittle the reputation of women and wrongly question their chastity and allege promiscuity. Women may do this to other women often out of jealously. I've seen it happened, and tried to tacitly tell them they shouldn't do that. Guys do it to get back at women. Such offenses are in many cases slanderous falsehoods, and this is a most eggregious way to hurt a person. Yet I have known people to be casual in this arena.
Some persons have no love for peace; they love to stir up trouble (Prv. 15:18; 16:27-28; 26:21; 29:22). Good men bury the past and forgive (Prv. 10:12; 17:9; I Pet 4:8). The good seek to make peace at all times (Jas 3:17-18).
This is a general exhortation, and I step on no one's toes, but I think everyone should consider heeding Scriptural exhortations about the sins of speech, and making a commitment or recommitment in this area. All of us struggle with it, to varying degrees. Some are so malicious and flagrant in their gossip and don't recognize the gravity of their sins.
Where I fall short in this area, my hope is that I would be more attentive to guarding my tongue, and practicing what I preach here today.
[Edited on 3-8-2006 by Puritanhead]
