The Gospel in Real Life

One of the most difficult things to watch is when a believing friend or acquaintance becomes beleaguered, hounded, or trapped in some sin. It’s usually, but not always, something that sneaks up on them and because it isn’t noticed right away, it overwhelms them at some point and they become caught in its deceptive web and they need help getting out. Sometimes, in our ongoing battle with remaining sin, it can knock us around and get the best of us. In those times, we are to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:1-2) by coming alongside and helping. Bearing one another’s burdens in a more general sense should be a normal part of the church’s ongoing body life to begin with (Romans 15:1-3). It should be normal. But how do we restore a person who is caught in some sin that they just seem to get overwhelmed by and can’t escape? I’ve found that there are two lines of thought, or two options that are practiced.

Option #1: Ostracize and Banish
Unfortunately, this can be a very popular reaction and response to someone who is struggling or caught in sin. We can be quick to banish the person and keep them at arm’s length, thinking that we’re doing them, and God, a great and noble service. When we exercise this option, we take a hard stance against the person caught in sin and we somehow convince ourselves that our hard-line approach is helping them. We sway ourselves into thinking that ostracizing them is somehow better than talking with them and encouraging them. It’s been my experience that when we exercise this kind of hard-line tactic, we Read more…

I remember watching the images and reports of the Vietnam war during prime time television newscasts and documentaries in the 1960s as a pre-teen and then as a teenager. I think that was my first introduction to the term “guerrilla warfare.” There was a lot going on in the 60s, between the war abroad and protests and riots around the country, and Woodstock. I remember hearing the term “guerrilla warfare” for the first time and thinking that it must have something to do with gorillas, since the war was being fought in a tropical environment. Admittedly, I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Come to think of it, I’m still not, but that’s another topic for another day. Let me throw out what I think is a good working definition of guerrilla warfare as one dictionary words it:

Guerrilla Warfare: The use of hit-and-run tactics by small, mobile groups of irregular forces operating in territory controlled by a hostile, regular force.

I think that definition nails it. Guerrilla warfare consists of covert or hidden forces using hit-and-run tactics and attacks to disrupt or destroy the regular military forces occupying or controlling a geographical area. Check out the picture that I put on this post. Guerrilla warfare is dependent upon surprise in order to succeed. Without the element of surprise, guerrilla warfare becomes less threatening. When you’re on the receiving end of it, guerrilla tactics are Read more…

Jon Zens has just released an excellent piece at Searching Together entitled, “Have You Heard…?” The Plague of Gossip in the Body of Christ. He gives us sound Biblical definitions of gossip and slander and reminds us of how hurtful and harmful they are in the body of Christ and beyond, and how damaging to our witness and the witness of the gospel gossip and slander can be. Gossip and slander are things that none of us is immune to. Regrettably, I have been guilty of both. James said that no one can tame the tongue, but that it is a restless evil, meaning that we need to remain vigilant to our tendencies (even if we convince ourselves that we have noble intentions) to fall into the trap of gossip and slander (James 3:8). James also reminds us that the tongue is a barometer for our spiritual life, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” (James 1:26). I always get convicted by this subject because I am all too familiar with my own struggles to control my tongue, especially when I feel I’ve been wronged, misunderstood, or attacked by someone who had talked to others about me, but hasn’t talked to me.  Zens begins his article,

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Bob Mumford once said, “The Christian army is the only one that shoots its wounded.”  Regrettably, I have observed his statement to be all too true.

As long as I’ve been a Christian I have watched friends and their families undergo untold pain and hurt because of the incredible power of gossip and slander. Years ago we were traveling and after speaking in a church a brother came up to me and said, “I heard that you had quit teaching in churches and took up potato farming.” How and why such a rumor got started is anybody’s guess! This rumor was fairly innocuous, but imagine the untold harm done by vicious judgments on the life and character of others.

In this article, I would like to address this issue head-on. My hope is to raise the awareness of my brothers and sisters in Christ on this matter, so that we all will better follow the Lord’s teachings regarding our speech about and actions toward others.

What exactly is gossip?

Gossip is second or third hand information that someone dumps on you without your prior consent and without the consent of the person being gossiped about. Gossip can be true, partially true, or completely false. It can be motivated by good intentions, but it’s always negative personal information about another that puts them in a bad light.

What is slander?

The Bible defines slander as accusatory speech that is injurious to a person’s name and reputation. It’s essentially character assassination . . . the act of smearing someone. Gossip and slander color people’s perceptions of an individual unfairly and unjustly without their knowledge or consent. One major component in both of these sins is that the person being torn down is out of the loop. Talebearers usually avoid speaking directly to the one they are demeaning.

I will admit that I have listened to gossip in the past. At the time, the thought never occurred to me how deeply a person and their family could be hurt when someone attacks their character without their knowledge or consent.

[Finish Reading at Searching Together....]

None of us enjoy opposition or criticism. I hope I’m speaking for all of us. If you do enjoy opposition and criticism, you’re sick man. Get help. Opposition and criticism are the unfortunate, but sometimes unavoidable byproducts of our attempts to serve God and to please him. They can arise from within the church or they can originate from without, but regardless, we can rest assured that they will arise as long as we are seeking to advance the gospel and please the Lord. The real question isn’t, “Will they arise?” The real question is “How do we respond when they do arise?” Spurgeon was once quoted as saying, “If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem to be against us, we do not believe Him at all.” He’s right.

One of the greatest enemies of effective ministry is the temptation to second-guess myself. I had a friend in high school who was always second-guessing himself and as a result, he never really accomplished anything noticeable. Assuming all else is equal and I’m not moving in an unbiblical direction or running rough shod over someone to get my way or to sinfully prove a point, second-guessing my decisions can lead to paralysis. Not physical paralysis, but to a paralyzing of my ministry. Quite often we find ourselves in the position of having to make quick decisions based on the limited information at hand, and once we do, those who Read more…