Part 2 Golden Nugget (5th part) - Do you destroy lives?

You would have noticed that I'm doing two different articles a week. The Sermon on the Mount articles on Sundays is from a book I've written a while ago and the Golden Nugget articles on Wednesdays are fresh. By Godincidence  (Godly coincidence) the topics of both these series coincided this week in that the Sermon on the Mount article is about gossip, which in actual fact is slander as per 1 Corinthians 6:10: ...nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. I am therefore placing only the Sermon on the Mount article and adjust it to cover our topic of slander.  Interestingly enough, even the children's video of the last article touched on this topic. I  didn't plan it like that, so maybe the Holy Spirit wants to make a point.

You might think you never curse anybody. But have you ever said negative things about people? If you have, you have cursed them. The evil forces of darkness wait for an excuse to nail a brother. If we say condemning things about him, slander him, we give those evil forces a mandate to try to apply those condemnations. It is almost like prophesying condemnation.

I have often wondered how fortune-tellers function, because only God is omniscient (all knowing) and He will not involve Himself with such things. The devil certainly does not know the future. Then I realised it is based on cursing. The fortune-teller can tell her client whatever she wishes. If he believes her and fears the prophecy will come true, it gives evil forces the right to bring it about.

Fear is the devil’s faith. The fortune-teller speaks a curse, such as death in the family or an accident, into the victim’s life, and the devil makes sure it happens. He can also cause a positive prophecy, like riches, to happen. He then snares his victim into looking toward good fortune for his provision and not to God. Evil spirits prompt these fortune-tellers and tell them what to say, just as they do with us when we have a critical spirit. The evil one uses gossip and slander in the same way.

Many children and adults struggle to rise above their circumstances because parents and other family members pronounce curses upon them: “John will never amount to anything because he is so lazy.” If they repeat these words every time John makes a mistake, or if they tell it over and over in the form of gossip, the devil steals opportunities and abilities from John. He whispers hopelessness into John’s ear and confirms it by his mistakes. Eventually, John believes he is a failure, because his family and friends cursed him.

Gossip and slander destroy relationships and the victim's social life. It spreads like wildfire and it's not long before the community rejects the victim for something they have not even done, or only have done once and then repented and let go. This is why the Lord made this statement that appears to be so harsh - people that make themselves guilty of such, will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

In terms of worldwide racism, we also limit nations’ development by pronouncing curses over them. We decide what they are capable of and what they are not. Evil forces hear the curses spoken from thousands of living rooms every day, and that gives them the mandate to steal, kill, and destroy. Proverbs says that the tongue has the power of life and death. Speaking death comes naturally because the devil constantly tempts us to do so, and our sinful nature conforms to it.

Speaking life, however, is contrary to our sinful nature and takes discipline and sacrifice. Every moment we must watch our tongues and discipline our mouths to keep silent. Paul said to Timothy, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value in all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come,” (1 Timothy 4:7, 8).

Speaking blessings takes practice and training. We have to train and discipline our minds and tongues. When we realize the power of our words—the devastating effect of curses and the power of blessings—we will train hard to bless. We must bless those who persecute us and not curse them (Romans 12:14).

Why do we judge so easily? Paul said, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me,” (2 Corinthians 12:7). I know that I also have a messenger of Satan tormenting me, and so have all Christians. The closer we live to God and the more fruit we bear, the more active these demons become. Their job is to tempt you to sin and then accuse you of that sin (Revelation 12:10). When we become a bigger threat to Satan, revealing his lies, he hits back harder. This thorn is a temptation to sin. Through it, our enemy attempts to make us feel guilty and worthless. He drives a wedge into our relationship with the Lord, causing Him to apply Isaiah 59:1, 2 and to discipline us as per Hebrews 12.

God uses the thorn to keep us humble. However, if the temptation leads to sin without repentance, we will be judged according to the commands of Jesus. The devil wants us to be judged according to the measure of the judgment that we pass (Matthew 7:2). This is why the thorn in the flesh of so many Christians is judging others. It is as Paul said in Romans 7:15-21, we do not want to do what we are doing, yet we can’t help it. Nevertheless, the Lord’s grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9) and He wants to provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). We constantly need to repent and train in righteousness.

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