Be Mindful of Your Intentions...
I sit here this morning and my heart is burdened. Deeply burdened.
I have written on how the enemy is attacking during this quarantine. How we need to be on guard. How he is going to hit us in our most vulnerable areas. I knew he would be vicious. I knew he would start attacking families, marriages, finances...what I wasn't prepared for was to see believers coming for believers all over social media.
People. What are you doing? We have all sinned and fallen short. We are sitting in a time that makes us vulnerable. People are losing jobs. Finances are being stretched. Fear is being promoted and we are not able to even assemble as a body of believers to come together to worship. And as I sit here this morning I saw two threads on social media where people posted to be encouraging and had people just come for them and not just say things, but attack them.
Now, before everyone comes for me let me be clear. As believers, I do think we are allowed to be held accountable by other believers. I believe we should speak the truth in love. I believe we should hold each other accountable. I believe that we should be willing to tell each other the hard things....BUT if we haven't spoken in months and you want to all the sudden come for me by hijacking a post on social media, you really need to check your motives.
There is a reason we should surround ourselves with community and it is in that community we should have those people that we know will tell us the truth. That will tell us the hard things. That will keep us accountable. These are the people we trust to love us as He loves us.
"Old" friends that are choosing to come out of the woodwork with your concerns, there is a reason there is a private message button.
We need to be careful as we are currently sitting in our houses, unable to be in normal community with others that we are not just looking for things to say. The enemy can take what you may think you mean for good and turn it into spiritual attack...spiritual abuse.
We do not know what someone has been through in their lives. We are fighting battles and overcoming things from our pasts and our spiritual walks are met with valleys and mountains. When we are able to overcome, that isn't free will to just start coming for someone who is doing something you believe isn't right or you think they are doing, especially when you are not part of their daily life.
Right now, I am seeing friends struggle with depression who don't normally struggle. I am seeing people struggle with not being able to be able to be in community because they need to be with people and what I do not think is okay, what I do not think is healthy is for the body to be attacking the body when we are all at our most vulnerable. At least not in a way that is hijacking a post on social media where you get to just dump all of your opinions and thoughts and their personal business for everyone to see when you have not even spoke to them in months or even attempted to speak to them on any type of personal level.
I am sure that many of you will read this and misunderstand my intention. But I am being very mindful of my intention here and that is my point in all of this.
Be mindful of your intention. Most of all, be mindful of why you are making a decision to come for someone publicly without going to them privately like we are taught in the scriptures. Most of all, be mindful if what you are doing is to truly because you are concerned.
Galatians 6:1 tells us, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you
who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep
watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." (esv)
Matthew 18:15 tells us, "If your brother sins against you, go and
tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you
have gained your brother." (esv)
Philippians 2:3-4 tells us, "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility
count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not
only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (esv)
