Gossip and a Simple Reminder

By: Lauren Thomas 

In college I lived in the dorms. I attended a Christian college and nearly everyone knew everyone. There are pros and cons to living in that context, but one of the challenges was related to gossip.

 

Women in general probably struggle with gossip more than men because we tend to bond face-to-face over conversation. Another reason why gossip can be a problem for women is our temptation to compare and feel envy and jealousy. Unhealthy bonds can form when we connect through tearing others down, or as we join forces against someone we perceive as an enemy. 

But gossip is clearly not okay for believers. Throughout Scripture, from Old Testament to New Testament, we read admonishments against gossip. 

 

Logically, it makes sense that gossip would be bad for Christians: it can cause division, hurt, and prop up our pride. None of these is appropriate for the Body of Christ. Jesus himself prayed for our love and unity. He himself set an example of humility.

 

And yet, we still struggle with gossip. 

 

When my dorm room door was open, I knew that my conversation could be easily overheard. But when my door was closed, I actively worked toward eliminating gossip with a simple reminder. On the back of my door, I hung a piece of notebook paper with a hand printed Bible verse. It was only visible when the door was closed and temptation to gossip with a friend would be strongest. Simply, it held the words of James 5:9.

 

Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

James 5:9 CSB

 

It was a simple reminder to not gossip, to not talk badly about others on my floor or in my building or on campus, because on the other side of my closed door I could picture Jesus himself listening in.

 

Did it work 100 percent of the time? No. Because it wasn’t always at the forefront of my mind. But did it help? Yes. Does it help now? Yes. 

 

Sometimes doing the right thing is as simple as putting a reminder in sight. 

 

Reflection:

If you struggle with gossip, what’s one verse you could use to help you overcome it? Examples include Ephesians 4:29 or Proverbs 17:9.

If gossip is not the sin you are currently battling, how could you implement a simple reminder to help you follow Jesus more closely?

Names of God Series: Being Refined by the Consuming Fire

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Joshua Newton

"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

~Deuteronomy 4:24

The One Who Purifies, God refines His people through His presence.

In our series on the names of God, we come now to this name or characteristic, the "consuming fire".  Though this passage is one sometimes disliked by those who view the idea of God being jealous through the lens of fallen human jealousy, it is actually a passage that is in our best interest. Our God being a jealous God is not a sinful thing. It is a loving thing.

For those of us who are parents, we know what it means to do the hard thing, make the hard decision, say the hard "no", or enforce the hard rule for our children's best interests. We do so that they might be matured, grown, and sanctified, refined into adults one day who are able to thrive for all the lessons they have been afforded. 

The same is true of our Father God, though He is perfect and sinless in His parenting of us (something we all know we can't say in our parenting of our own children!). In His all-wise love and holiness, the Lord walks with us through hard seasons of life, the "no"s He has answered certain of our prayers with, the disappointments, the struggles, the questions, that He might refine us into mature Christians who are able to thrive, even in a dark and fallen world, for the lessons we have been afforded. 

He does this out of love for us, out of the fact that He is jealous for us and desires so very deeply to be in relationship with us. He receives no delight in our struggles, but allows them for the good the consuming, refining fire will produce in us and in our futures. And that is a comfort we can cling to in the hard times! 

Reflection Questions:

1) What is your knee-jerk reaction to hearing that God is a consuming fire and a jealous God?

2) What do you think about those characteristics now that we have walked through what they actually mean?

3) What stands out to you about this characteristic of God? How does it bring you comfort and peace in the midst of life's trials?

Discover the Joy

By: Joanne Viola 

 

“You will make known to me the path of life; 
In Your presence is fullness of joy; 
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” 
(Psalm 16:11, NASB) 

It’s a familiar verse and one I returned to recently. Two truths stood out:

• God will make known to us the paths of life. I took note it doesn’t say the paths in life but “of” life. Distinct difference. Yes, God does guide our paths daily, but this is referencing something different. This path which God makes known to us is the path which leads us back to Him. It is the path which will lead us into eternity.
• It is in God’s presence we find fullness of joy. As we spend time with God, in His Word and in prayer, we experience joy.

A few days later, in my morning read, I stumbled onto this verse:

“It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, 
the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 
so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, 
for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” 
(1 Kings 8:10-11, NASB) 

The priests could not stand nor minister because the glory of the Lord filled the temple. They were overcome by His Presence.

Returning to this verse for a few days, it provoked the question: Are we looking for God to show up in our situations? Do we hunger and thirst for Him?

“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, 
O God.I thirst for God, the living God. 
When can I go and stand before him?” 
(Psalm 42:1-2, NLT) 

May our hearts long for God each day.
May we be overcome by His presence,
for it is there that we will discover fullness of joy.

 

Reflection: 
Are you looking for God to show up in your life? Take time today to take a walk, sit outside, or sit in quietness to read Scripture.

 

Image by NGUYEN NGOC TIEN from Pixabay

 

A Cycle of Judgment or Mercy

 By: Lauren Thomas 

I had had several conversations with this woman. And in those conversations, I was beginning to notice two patterns: 1) She was extremely concerned with what people thought of her, to the point of insecurity. 2) She was extremely judgmental of everyone she spoke of, criticizing their appearance, actions, and motives. The more I spoke with her, the more I noticed a correlation. Then it hit me.

 

This correlation sounded like a verse, something Jesus said, something that I was watching play out. But she was doing the exact opposite of what Jesus taught. She was doing what Jesus warned against.

 

³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

³⁷ “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:36-38 ESV

She was full of judgment toward others. And that judgement was turning back to judge herself. She was condemning others. And that condemnation was returning on her own head. She withheld forgiveness from others. And she couldn’t forgive herself. She didn’t give mercy. And she couldn’t allow herself to receive it. The measure she was using, she had no choice but to measure back to herself. 

 

It was a vicious cycle. Her unkindness in her judgement of others created an internal mechanism of self-judgement that was crippling. But it’s not just her. Anyone who is judgmental of others tends to be very hard on themselves. Those who criticize others often struggle with a strong inner critic. It’s a kind of spiritual principle: judge and you will be judged. 

 

And this spiritual principle goes both ways: Be merciful and you will receive mercy.

 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Matthew 5:7 ESV

 

If you find yourself struggling with insecurity or worry about what others think of you, it’s worth checking your own heart. It’s worth examining if you have a problem of judgment and criticism. Not all insecurity stems from a problem with judgement. But other times there is a definite correlation. Do you find yourself frustrated with others’ failing? Do you give vent to your criticism of people and things around you?

 

You can be sure that Jesus wants to free you of this. As you choose mercy toward others, you will begin to receive mercy. 

 

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:13 ESV

Reflection:

Do you struggle with being critical or judgmental? If so, considering the passage above from Luke, can you see how criticism and judgement is impacting you? Ask the Lord to help you choose mercy over judgement.

Idols in My Life

 By: Grace Metzger

Recently I've been looking into what I spend my time, energy, and money on. As I get older I realize that whatever I'm pouring my time, energy, and money into is what is holding priority in my life. As I looked into this, I wasn't shocked that I quickly figured out that it was my phone and my love of caffeine that was taking a priority in my life. These two things might sound harmless until you realize that I'm spending hours daily on my phone and the amount of money I'm spending on coffee nearly gave my mother a heart attack. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:34 ESV

Idolatry is something that I don't believe everyone fully understands. When most people think about idolatry they might think of people worshiping other gods. I know when I think about it my first thought is of the Israelite's creating a golden calf and worshiping it while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. As a child I always called them stupid, wondering how they could possibly worship this man made statue after seeing what God just did for them. But as I'm older, I notice that I am just like them. I am worshipping my phone, allowing it to take priority when it comes to how I'm spending my time. I've seen all the great things God has done in my life, yet I am choosing to spend my time elsewhere rather than with God. 

When I say this I am not saying you need to spend every minute of everyday reading the Bible and singing worship songs. What I am saying is when I am able to spend hours on Tiktok but spend probably 10 minutes reading my Bible and praying once a day, I can see where my priorities in life are. When I'm spending a ton of money on daily coffee runs but only tithing the bare minimum it shows what I care about.

What are you spending your time, energy, and money on? Have you taken the time to look at your life and see where your priorities are? I challenge you to spend some today and look at what your priorities are, what you find out might shock you.

Discussion question! How do you ensure that you are prioritizing time with God in your daily life?