There's a deeper meaning than we realize in the power of our words. Since coming back from the World Race I've always kept in mind some of the teachings from our meetings with men who spoke life and truth to us. One specific message came from the Director of the World Race at the time, Michael Hindes. That night while in New Zealand he was talking about the power of our words. Yes, there are the familiar texts from the Bible of James 3, or Matthew 12:34, but there was something deeper he made me think of when it comes to speaking ill of others, or gossip.
The Gospel says that we were made in the image of God, all men and women were made bearing the image of God physically. My friends, co-workers, family, church family, and even my "enemies" bear this image as hard as it sometimes to believe. But, for a true believer in Christ, a pilgrim of the faith, we not only bear the image of our Creator but also have become temples of His Spirit; children of our Father. It's almost hard to understand completely, that when we are speaking to others, in behalf of others, or without them even around we are not only speaking about that person specifically but even the Spirit of God who is inside of them.
Before I was to spend a year with a community of people in not always the nicest places things could make us emotionally and spiritually tired. But we knew the life of each other, our hearts, and the message of the Gospel would be at stake every time by how we treated one another and especially how we spoke of each other.
When speaking to someone in a manner that is not of love then I am not only putting them down but also the Lord in them. It doesn't change the value of God, but it reveals to us how we think the Spirit of God in that person is to us. For they bear His image, and if it is a believer we speak ill of then they bear His Spirit inside. I have come to understand that my words can have a greater effect on someone than I realize and who God made them to be.
This doesn't void the need for correction or rebuke if someone needs it, you do so in love and truth, with wisdom on how to do so. But it should always be done biblically and not behind their back. We are all human, sinners, who by only God's grace has given us the freedom to choose Christ and we're growing in that.
If I decide to talk about someone that isn't healthy at all nor positive then it reveals more than anything my character and heart instead of theirs. On the World Race we had what we called a 24-hour rule. If person A went to person B to talk about person C in a bad way, then person B would tell person A that they didn't want to hear anymore of it and that they had 24 hours to go to person C themselves and tell them their issue, if not, then person B would do it for them and tell person A they need to talk to C.
This was a protection against gossip, against defaming someone's character, holding accountability, and the family of Christ. Any person who finds themselves in the midst of it should immediately either stop the gossip, leave, or tell the main source. We called it "defilement" when someone spoke wrongly of someone else; a strong word but the best one to use.
The one who is above reproach, who truly seeks to do what is right, is the one who speaks life and encouragement to those around them and directly to those that it needs to go to. It's not always easy, but Paul told us to not let any unwholesome talk come from us (Eph 4:29). For it is the Lord who knows the true hearts of every believer. For those who seek truth and love will avoid all such wrongings and encourage so that the Gospel reveals the Truth.
Do we truly understand the power or our tongue? What we say in person, on internet, or any other form? Our words will either build or destroy not only those we speak to or who we are around with, but it will reveal the true depths of ourselves and the root of dissension that is still there or not. It is God with His Spirit who changes hearts, and we must pray for those who speak ill of us at all times. We must also always stop gossip when we see it; realizing that those who do so are not doing so out of love and it reveals their "Christian heart". Christians are the bride of Christ, and if I defame someone then I not only defame the person but Christ, who is the husband of His church.
Believers are to be of peace, and there are bigger issues in our calling to bring the kingdom to earth. My heart has been heavy for the way we act sometimes, for there are many people who don't know Christ, many still starving, broken families, many who have spiritual healing to be done, much freedom to be done in our world with justice. The church doesn't have time nor the reputation to risk if we lose our focus and destroy ourselves.
