Tag: Spiritual Help

The Battle of Living by Faith

There’s a life that looks real. And pretty and safe. On paper. On screen.

And then there’s real life. The life that is behind all that. The one that has character and flaws and wonders. The one that’s still there.

It’s courageous to be real with people about your weaknesses. To see yourself exposed and walk in that feeling and to keep moving your feet. To keep your head up and your heart open. Because living by faith doesn’t mean every door opens or every person agrees. It can mean trusting God during periods of silence. Or seeking Him regardless of a culture that teaches He doesn’t matter.

To get rejected but keep trying.

To believe in Jesus when others laugh.

To feels so overwhelmed that you break.

To have made mighty mistakes but move on with integrity and hope.

Because living by faith means many things. It can mean feeling the burn of embarrassment on your cheeks while walking away from a fight. It can mean feeling confused and admitting it, relying on God to reveal truth and straighten paths in His time.

Feeling successful some weeks and like a shipwreck others.

And feeling just a little afraid that others will shake their heads silently and judge…

And right there is the fight. The battle of living by faith.

The battle we all know; the one that tells you to stay down. But you hear a voice whispering in your ear, “Get up and walk.”

You know it’s the right voice, but nothing in this world justifies it. You may lose if you get up and walk.

But you choose to do it. You decide at that moment to live. To rise to the occasion, to use the breath God put in your lungs to continue.

And suddenly you realize that being full of yourself isn’t really you at all. And you turn your head. Turn your eyes.

You ask the Lord.

More of you, Lord. Please. More of you.

And that’s when it all changes. Because suddenly you realize there’s much to do. There’s much to be in Him.

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Because when we decide to live in faith things get messy. And beautiful.

And finally we know what it means to have beauty from ashes. Suddenly we realize that all the messed up crazy that was our past and at times can be our present is redeemed and bled for and paid for.

Thank  you Lord Jesus.

This time is too short. Let us live, really live, for you.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

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GOT-THIS-ALL-WRONG GOSSIP

You admit you probably got it wrong, but spread it anyway, because it’s still touching on some points that could be true. Or would sound exciting if true. Either way, it usually starts out like this: I probably got this all wrong, but apparently…

This is one of the most common types of gossip. We think we’re just passing on the latest news. Could it hurt someone? Meh. Maybe. But if we don’t even know the person, does it matter? James 4:17 says, “Anyone, then, who know the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

Thankfully, Jesus gave us an example to follow:

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is said whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs” (Matt 10:26-27).

HOW DO I STOP?

After learning about the types of gossip, do you think it’s time to come clean? Take the next step in confessing and healing the desire to gossip. God bless you!

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WHISPERED INNUENDO

These subtle insinuations can mislead others into thinking wrong thoughts, especially if the conclusions are based on gossipy hunches. Here’s an example: It’s interesting how he was “out of town” the night she was murdered.

Proverbs 26:20 tells us, “For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.”

And a warning from the Bible: “What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:3).

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PLANTING SEEDS

The Bible tells us we reap what we sow. With that in mind, this type of gossip is said in such a way to make the listener question or assume something about the character of a person. For example: Isn’t it weird how he keeps staring at your girlfriend when you’re not looking?

James 3:5 tells us, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”

A warning from the Bible from Proverbs 16:28: “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.”

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NOT-REALLY-JOKING JOKES

Have you ever taken some part of truth and turned it into a joke about someone that makes other question their character? It also serves as a passive way to spread more gossip. Example: Maybe he/she will actually get off the couch today long enough to blahblah. haha.

When the joking is harmful to another, it’s mockery. How can you know a mocker? It’s in the Bible. Proverbs 21:24 says, “Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.” And verse 9:8 says, “A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise.”

In addition, Proverbs 22:10 says, “Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended.”

And Psalm 1:1 starts out: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.”

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BACKBITING

It’s a flavor of gossip that involves speaking spiteful or slanderous words about another who is not present and can do nothing in defense. It’s secretive, and the Bible actually mentions it by name in Proverbs 25:23: “The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.”

Also: “Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure” (Psalm 101:5).

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RUMORS

You hear something, and it’s not good, and it’s also not confirmed as true. But you tell someone or ask someone else about it to get more info. The rumor mill turns and turns and the gossip spreads.

Proverbs 13:3 says, “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”

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DISHING

“Dishin’ the dirt” basically means sharing the “juicy info” you learned about someone. Maybe the intent isn’t to directly cause damage, but by keeping the gossip alive, it continues to spread and taint the image of the person it’s about.

Proverbs 20:19 tells us that a gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.

James 5:9 says, “Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”

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SLANDER

It’s defined as spreading rumors or lies about a person to cause damage purposely. The written form of it is libel.

The Bible mentions slander countless times in lists like this one: “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:8).

James 4:11 tells it straight: “Brothers, do not slander one another.”

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TYPES OF GOSSIP AND WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

How do we know what’s gossip and what’s not gossip? We can find a number of Bible verses about gossip, especially in Proverbs, and we can also ask God to reveal it to us. James 1:5 tells us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Have any of the types of gossip below been too tempting for you to resist lately? (Come back here when you’re done if you can use help to stop gossiping.)

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