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"The heart of the righteous studies to answer: but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." Proverbs 15:28
Let's say you're at work and several of your co-workers are talking about another co-worker and really putting her down.
Maybe they are saying she's incompetent, or that she's rude or they're judging her morals etc.
Maybe they're right. Maybe she really is incompetent, rude or immoral.
But how can you respond in a biblical, Christian way?
This scripture in Proverbs tells us that a righteous person will not just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
The righteous person will study to answer. He will think about what to say before saying it.
He will think about what good or bad his words will do. A wicked person will just pour out the bitterness and criticism that's in his heart but not so with the righteous.
You, as a righteous person, will need to study your answer. You will need to think about what to say instead of just jumping into the conversation and saying something--whether "good" or "bad".
So as you study what to say then keep in mind a few things. First, remember the ministry you are called to.
You are called to the ministry of reconciliation, (2 Cor. 5:18). We all are.
Because of that, your desire should be to see everyone reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
This doesn't mean that you start preaching a sermon to everyone, but it means that if you say anything at all it's something that will be redemptive.
Secondly, Keep in mind that when focusing on negative characteristics in a person, especially when it triggers a response in you like anger or criticism, then you are allowing that person to cause you to become bitter and negative.
You don't have to allow that! Yes she might be irritating but you can choose to rise above that and not become bitter and negative as a response.
You might think you are judging accurately and even speaking the truth about her, but the fact is that you have allowed someone else's faults to cause you to stumble.
You have given that person a lot of power over you. You may recognize that a person is wrong in something but then talking about her, criticizing her and passing
judgment on her is also wrong! Jesus didn't come to condemn the world but to save it, (John 3:17).
As His representative you need to have the same mission. Choose to rise above that negativity and study to answer.
Think about what you can say and how you can change your thinking so that you become a minister of reconciliation.
God loves all of those involved. He loves the one who is the target of the criticism and He loves your co-workers who are criticizing.
(And He loves you too!)
God would like to see the one who is being criticized helped so that she can become more competent.
Maybe she's rude because she knows that no one likes her. And He would like to see your co-workers, (and maybe even yourself), be free from the bitter hearts that are making them so judgmental and angry.
All Christians need to grow in discernment so that we can distinguish between good and evil, (Heb. 5:14).
But what is the purpose in you seeing another person's faults or sin? Is it so you can bury that person with
judgment? When you recognize another's faults then first realize that it's for your protection so you have the wisdom not to fall into a trap.
And second, understand that it's so you can do something to try and reconcile that person to God.
Now you might not do anything more than pray for that person, (which is doing a lot if you're interceding from a heart of love), but just having the mindset that you want to try and bring restoration instead of condemnation will do much to bring God's Kingdom into the situation.
And making it a habit to study your answer will keep you from regretting the things you say.
I pray you have success in your studies to answer!
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