This morning I was reading from Ecclesiastes 9 about wisdom and in verse 18 it says:
"Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good."
I have been journeying the learning of wisdom in leadership for a number of years now and it's challenging. I have made many mistakes and continue to as I learn to balance scripture, of interpreting of what is right and wrong, of when and if to speak, of being patient and learning what is love and what is discipline. When to overlook an offence and when to say enough is enough. We all ask the Lord for more, but in the 'more', what it often means is we have to learn to 'love' more and see as Jesus would see, and speak as Jesus would speak.
These past weeks I have got very 'discouraged' as I go to Christian meetings and 'see' the heart of man that has judgement toward me, people who cannot look at me because of the offence in their heart. Or hear of people still slandering me to others in person or on facebook. People who have been offended and are still carrying that offence but won't come and talk to me about it. The word says if you have a problem with your bother or sister in Christ then go to that brother or sister and talk to them about it, but it seems like they go to everyone else and in the process they become that 'sinner' destroying much good. If we are children of the light as it says in 1 John then we have fellowship with one another and we walk in the spirit of truth. But what I see brings grief to my spirit as I 'see' the truth. And that gossip and slander destroys no matter who you are.
Body of Christ this should not be so. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should be building one another up, encouraging one another but it seems it is the opposite. If you have an offence with your brother or sister in Christ then you are to go to that brother or sister and talk with them about it, not with other people. And people, if the situation does not involve you then don't pick up stuff that is not yours to be involved in.
We are brothers and sisters in Christ and we need to say no to gossip and slander of other people in the body because one side always seems right until the other side is heard but very few times we are only hearing one side of the story.
Wisdom is teaching me that one sinner can destroy much and so all the good we do in the Lord can be brought down because of the sin, gossip and slander of one. Hence why I am speaking up at this point because I am learning to let it continue will destroy much, not only peoples individual lives and ministries but it will destroy the unity in the body of Christ and I hope like you we want the blessing that unity commands.
Unforgiveness, gossip and slander kills, and this is not of God. It's time to take a stand people if we want to see a move of God in our nation, this has to stop! It is destroying all that God wants to do in our nation.
What it shows me when this is going on that actually we are still on milk and are not a mature body of Christ and we need to grow up and not entertain the enemy at our tables as we sit and eat with it.