I do my best to communicate whatever the Lord lays on my heart, but it’s not always easy. It takes time, active listening, and much prayer. Though I can’t respond directly to every comment visitors make on my podcast platforms, I do take time to read those comments. I am moved by the prayers of faithful intercessors, and I’m grateful for them.
Let the IFA community know how to pray for you.
I’m amazed at the wisdom and knowledge my fellow intercessors share. Many share their spiritual victories, and reading such comments is always a huge encouragement. Sadly, however, some comments are accusatory and just plain mean-spirited. The greatest cause for concern is that it is not unbelievers who are doing the disagreeing and the name-calling — it is Christians, attacking each other, especially on social media. When will we realize that unbelieving people are watching us who claim to be believers? Our words and actions show people who we really are.
I’ve seen this sobering quote on social media: “Be the reason someone loves Jesus, not the reason they hate Christians.” That is so true. Many people refuse to go to church because of the ways they see us act. Although I do not find that to be an adequate excuse, it’s still worth thinking about. As we have probably heard many times: We are the only Bible some people will ever read. In this sense too, our homes may be the only “church” some people will ever set foot in. Our character does matter. I pray that you will humbly let the Lord examine your heart as you read this article.
And so the tongue is a small part of the body yet it carries great power! Just think of how a small flame can set a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! It can be compared to the sum total of wickedness and is the most dangerous part of our human body. It corrupts the entire body and is a hellish flame! It releases a fire that can burn throughout the course of human existence. For every wild animal on earth including birds, creeping reptiles, and creatures of the sea and land have all been overpowered and tamed by humans, but the tongue is not able to be tamed. It’s a fickle, unrestrained evil that spews out words full of toxic poison! We use our tongue to praise God our Father and then turn around and curse a person who was made in his very image! Out of the same mouth, we pour out words of praise one minute and curses the next. My brothers and sisters, this should never be! (James 3:5–10 TPT).
The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about our words (see Proverbs 11:9; 12:18; 15:4; 25:18). Words can be mighty. We can use them to encourage and edify, or we can wield them like a sword to tear others apart. The choice is ours. Jesus said that our words come from our hearts — and this applies to words spoken, written, or typed out. Yes, our words are directly connected to and reflective of our deepest heart condition (see Matthew 15:8–10). Thus, we are told also to guard our hearts, because from there flows the source of life.
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions (Proverbs 4:23–25 MSG).
I like the way The Message translation calls it talking “out of both sides of your mouth.” This is what the apostle James alluded to when he said we use our tongues to praise God and then turn around and curse others. The verse also tells us to ignore the distractions, and that is exactly what we must do. Most of us are wise enough to run from sin. When Satan’s plans to entrap us fail, he will then set up distractions to make us take our eyes off of the prize. Gossiping, accusing, fighting, and slandering are tools of Satan, not of the kingdom of God. Spreading lies, sowing discord, and setting forth a lying witness are three of the six things the Lord hates, as described in Proverbs 6:16–19. The Lord doesn’t treat our words lightly, and neither should we.
The Good Fight, or Friendly Fire?
Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12 AMP).
We are in a spiritual war, and that war is raging. We are surely aware of it — we’re all fighting battles, personally or corporately. We are fighting through our intercession — perhaps nationally, and some even globally, depending on God’s particular calling. But our fight is against powers of evil. We are told in Scripture that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6:12).
Sadly, though, many Christians are losing this battle. This is because rather than fighting against spiritual wickedness, we are waging war against each other. This is not fighting the good fight of faith. This is not edifying to the Body of Christ. No, this is what is militarily called “friendly fire” — when one accidentally fires a weapon on an ally, causing injury or death. Many wounded warriors in the Church have been the casualties not of the Enemy, but of other Christians. We must be mindful of one another. We are a diverse community — and that is OK. We often think and speak differently from one another; we have different upbringings and educational backgrounds; we operate from different giftings. And yet, we were all created in the image of God. We are all “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We must be careful not to wield our weapons unwisely and thus hurt our allies, who are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Where Is the Love?
Christians are familiar with the lukewarm Laodicean church described in Scripture. Many have said that the American Church is Laodicea. But truth be told, if we read the seven letters in Revelation, we see the Church in more than any one of the churches described there. This is not to point fingers, but rather to encourage us to examine ourselves and ask, “Lord, am I like any of these churches?” The one letter out of those seven that has most captivated my attention is the one written to the church of Ephesus:
But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches (Revelation 2:4–5 NLT).
When we first read Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, we see a multicultural church, one that thrived amid pagan worship. The believers there were a great example of perseverance, and they are mentioned often in the accounts of Paul’s missionary trips. Something happened between the journeys of Paul and the exile of John to Patmos, where the revelation from Jesus was given. The Ephesians had abandoned their first love, Jesus; their love for Him had grown cold, but in the course of this, they no longer loved each other, either. Wow! What a connection.
Perhaps this is why Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (see Mark 12:30–31). If Jesus is not our first love, we won’t love each other as the Body of Christ either. And I think it’s therefore safe to say that if Christians can’t love even each other, they surely cannot love their unbelieving neighbors. This is a downward spiral.
So, how is your heart? Do you find yourself condemning the Church and other believers, more than you are praying for them? Are you quick to comment sharply against or to put down a Christian with whom you disagree? I’m not talking about scriptural correction. I’m talking about harsh judgment that is based on your feelings and opinions rather than on God’s word. Do you put down Christians whose expression of faith does not match your own? If you answer yes, then you are probably harboring something in your heart that is not of God — be it unforgiveness, bitterness, or even pride. If we do not guard our hearts against this, we can become defiled and then end up with cold and apathetic hearts.
It’s Time to Grow Up
One of the most convicting pieces of advice I’ve ever received came from a seasoned intercessor and chaplain, who said: “It’s alright if someone’s faith doesn’t look exactly like ours.” That statement made me reevaluate many things I had taken for granted, as well as my overall approach to other people. Though many of us may be mature in our faith, there’s always room for growth. We may eat meat for the mature, but we mustn’t condemn those who are still drinking only milk. I once drank that milk, just as any young believer does. We in the Church must stop writing off those whose faith doesn’t exactly match our own. Otherwise, we are nothing more than self-righteous pharisees. This is not God’s desire for His Church. Whether you agree with some other believer or not, if he or she has prayed and sincerely repented of sin and received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that believer is now your brother and sister in the Lord — regardless how you may or may not feel about that person.
Even though many wrongly say that Christians who talk about love are weak and preaching a message that is “watered down,” the fact is that love is powerful. Love is an identifier to others that we are His disciples (see John 13:35). Love is the essence of the gospel (John 3:16). We love because He first loved us, and God is love. For the sake of the gospel and of a world that needs Jesus Christ, we must examine our hearts. Social media can be used to promote the gospel and win the lost. It is a tool that can be used for blessing. Unfortunately, though, it can also be one of the most divisive and hate-filled of places. I scroll right on past and never get involved whenever I happen to see Christians battling it out in any comments section; in such cases my heart is grieved. In my mind I think: You are fighting the wrong battle, brothers. Social media has also given many people a platform and a “ministry” for tearing down other ministries, other churches, and other Christians who may happen to disagree with them. Such misguided people do this more often than they ever preach to the lost. Imagine what those who do not know Jesus think when they read such comments. We must do better, because we are representatives of His kingdom.
The Greatest of These Is Love
We are called to love one another as Jesus loved us (see John 15:12). This is not easy, but He wouldn’t give us a command if He knew we were unable to keep it. If you want to know what His love looks like, just read 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. It is patient and kind, and it is not boastful or proud, nor does it ever dishonor others. His love keeps no record of wrongs, and it does not delight in evil; instead, His love rejoices in the truth. In an honest evaluation, does this sound like us?
But the love of Jesus goes even further. It looks like washing Judas’ feet. It looks like the Lord praying and asking God to forgive the very ones who were shouting at him and reviling Him. His love is patient and gives mankind everywhere time to repent (see 2 Peter 3:9). I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to say one day that I loved as Jesus did. Don’t you?
Let’s pray now:
Father, we come before You and give You all the honor, glory, and praise. Forgive us for falling short in the love department. Forgive us for those times we’ve judged others based on our personal feelings — which are not according to righteous judgment. We ask You to search our hearts for any hidden roots of bitterness toward our brothers or sisters in Christ. Expose anything that is offensive. Search our minds and our motives. Create in us a clean heart, and restore to us the joy of Your salvation as we repent of anything You reveal. We don’t want our love for You to grow cold, and we don’t want our love for the Church to grow cold either. We are one body, Your Body, called to love and serve one another. Give us Your heart that is moved with compassion for the lost and the hurting. We want to forgive others as we ourselves have been forgiven, and we want to love as we have been loved. But we can’t do any of this without You. Help us to do it Your way, so that we can become effective representatives of Your kingdom and avoid being a stumbling block to anyone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Encourage others by sharing below some of your thoughts and prayers for the Body of Christ.
IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo credit: ©AudreyPopov via Canva.com.