Compelled to share

As some of you may or may not know, Monday was my birthday. I think that it is important to take time during this season to really seek God and his heart. I like to know the direction or promise for the coming year.

This past Friday, I went to a prayer retreat which was just awesome and anointed. The woman of God, Pastor Denise Ray, did a lot of teaching on consecration. I had really been feeling that in my spirit, and this really helped solidify what God was already speaking. During the retreat, we did a lot of soul searching in looking at things that are in our lives that displease the Lord. Now, while we did that over the weekend, when I got home, I was still seeking God in my personal time about the things in my life that may displease him. By Tuesday, God really began to deal with me on a particular subject...gossip. I am compelled to share.

I've never considered myself a person who gossips much. I don't try to look for drama or to pry in people's business. However, there are those times when news just comes and finds you. We passively participate in the gossip by listening to it, even if we never repeat it. Then, there are those moments when drama hits our life, or family. You know how it is when we fall out with one of friends, co-workers, family member, or even an ex. We end up calling all our other friends, the closest ones and tell them what all went down. It's the subject of conversation for the next week. "Girl, have you talked to so and so..." I've found myself disguising gossip in a prayer request, "Pray for my family because yesterday..." You notice how you will go on about that prayer request for 15 minutes, give all the details, and answer all the questions during the interrogation from your girls. Yet, we get off the phone without ever bowing our heads.

The truth is that it is all gossip. By the time we are finished telling it, the little drama we were dealing with when from a 5 minute skit to a 90 minute feature film. We spend 20 minutes telling the prayer request and not even half that time interceding. Sometimes we find this same thing as one church will bash another; or, one ministry attacks another. Some people have built entire ministries based on tearing others down, and proving that someone is preaching heresy (and this helps win people to Christ how? Oh, it doesn't. It takes the gospel...good news...for that.) This absolutely hurts the heart of God.

When we gossip and talk bad about people, our tongues come into agreement with the devil. Revelation 12:10 refers to Satan as "the accuser of our brothers" and he "accuses them before our God day and night." Basically, Satan goes before God and tells him how horrible we are. Every mistake, misspoken word, and every fallout that we have Satan is taking that before God. His purpose is to convince God, that we, as God's people, aren't fit and don't deserve heaven. When we put our mouths on people, we sit in the place of Satan and act as the accuser of our brothers. Our mouths are used for Satan's glory and not God's.

It absolutely hurts my heart to know that I've come in agreement with the devil to put my mouth on someone. Gossip is directly contrary to the heart of God. I'm literally writing this blog with tears because this hurts Daddy's heart. I've hurt my father's heart. We are our brother's keeper, yet, we kill him with our tongue.

"It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor;
a sensible person keeps quiet.

"A gossip goes around telling secrets,
but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence."

Proverbs 11:12-13

When we screw up, like we all do, come to our God, and repent, he removes our sins. As far as the east is from the west, God removes our sins from us. He does not expose our nakedness; he does not expose our shame. Daddy covers me so the world does not see how messed up I really am. Daddy does not show your mess to the world, but rather he says, "I will heal your backsliding." God would rather heal you before he shows the world your sin. Love covers a multitude of sin. Daddy covers us with his righteousness cuz he knows ours is as filthy rags. God is love. Love keeps no record of wrong, it doesn't delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love always protects, always trust, always hopes, and always perseveres.

That is Daddy's heart and gossip is directly contrary to it. If you don't know Christ, I'm really not talking to you. However, if you name yourself among the saints, KEEP YOUR MOUTH OFF OF PEOPLE. Stop talking about your girl who did you wrong, your ex, your crazy mom, and your deadbeat dad. Quit talking about these pastors and ministries, and stop looking for the next leader to fall. If something is wrong with the church, realize that you are the church so look in the mirror first. Then intercede. Pray church pray! Spend the time you want to be complaining, interceding.

I don't like to hurt God so my heart is really broken in this matter. This is a hard word and pretty uncomfortable, but it is so true. Him who has an ear, let him hear.

You know when you try to put this into practice you might upset a few people when you tell them you don't want to hear it or that you aren't going to tell it. They will get over themselves. I'd rather be rejected by men, than be rejected by God. *Sigh* That was draining.

Blessings...