A TALK with a brother led to bad-mouthing another brother. Does this happen to you? At work, is there someone who bad-mouths another coworker? It happens when the one being bad-mouthed is not around.
And it is always about the past, never the future.
What do you do when someone bad-mouths another?
I stopped the brother. I reminded him that when God promotes someone, no one could hinder him – except himself.
I said, “I see how God is changing your heart, and how you deserve to be promoted by God.”
But I also told him, “when you judge someone else, you see only the past – and if you judge your brother’s past, God might just bring you down – for God is working in the heart of that brother you’re bad-mouthing.”
So the bad-mouthing stopped, and I pray he will see all of his brothers from God’s point of view.
He needs to be strong and take action against those who don’t quite know God. He must be strong and take action against himself when he is tempted so he will know God better.
At work today, someone will bad-mouth another. Perhaps you will bad-mouth someone. Be strong and take action. Affirm God is at work.
Find a way to say, even if it is to you, only God promotes and only God brings down.
If you step up, others will know your God. If you step up against yourself, you will also know your God a little better!
Reading
Daniel 11:32 (HSCB) With flattery he will corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.
Psalm 75:6-7 (HCSB) Exaltation does not come from the east, the west, or the desert, for God is the Judge: He brings down one and exalts another.
Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray. Thank You for giving me a new heart to see Your sons and daughters as You see them – worthy of Your exaltation.
Give me strength to affirm and not to judge. Let me see their future and not their past, as You see my future and not my past. Amen.
(Robertson School of Government at Regent University)
