"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matt 5:9
Satan uses division to divide the house. God warns us against this...'a house divided cannot stand.' It only takes two to become divisive and cause contention in a relationship. God speaks a lot about the tongue and what the Lord detests about it..'a man who stirs up dissension among his brothers.' Pro 6:19
We must remain unified and bonded to live in peace. The best way to deflect a divisive spirit is to check the person's motives. Are they warning you? Or are they stating their own opinion of you or a situation? Are they trying to correct a wrong? Or are they stirring up trouble?
How do we receive this type of communication? Do we have a 'thin skin' and read more into a comment than necessary? Do we want to perceive the person as "bad"? Do we believe the lie? How we react is just as important as how we speak.
This past week I encountered a situation where someone was sharing an experience and they used bigoted generalizations about African Americans. We were in a group setting and it was all I could do to hold my tongue. I wanted to either lash out or get up and leave. Instead, I did hold my tongue until I had time to reflect and assess the situation.
After getting counsel and praying, I concluded this person is a bigot. I will confront this person one-on-one and let him know he offended me by his statements. He may not change, he may not hear but it is correct for me to point out my pain to him. God is not pleased with hate speech or speech that creates pain at the expense of another.
We must be active agents of peace and not use tactics that will continue the cycle of divsiveness--it is our Godly duty. This is a tough one sisters, I can get angry but sin not! Oh how difficult this is in our fallen world. Pray for me and I'll pray for you and we all must pray for the ignorant, wicked, evil, and unloving people in the world. They need God, they need His Holy Spirit...only he can transform the evil into good and sanctify the divisive tongue. God bless, Sis Lis
Affirmation: I will make every effort to speak words that produce peace and to refrain from any communication that creates disunity.
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