NEED TO REPENT? I DO

⁸ You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. ⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.  (JAMES 5:8-9)

In the book "Driven By Eternity" by John Bevere, as I was scanning through it ( looking for what did I highlight when I read this, and led a group of people through the group study) my eyes fell on page 10, where I highlighted in hot pink and put stars around this passage:  " What I sad about him is the truth."  This is often  said when people are talking in a negative light (gossip or slander) about a fellow co-worker, friend, boss, etc.  They may act as if they love or are concerned, but in fact it is still slander.  The fact is you can be 100%  right and still be wrong according to eternal standards.  If you recall Noah's youngest son, Ham, reported accurately to his brothers his father's nakedness & drunken state.  However, a curse came on his lineage & lasted generations as a result of his dishonoring father."

Now for the record Ham was cursed not because of what He said, but rather because he humiliated and dishonored his father, and attempted to draw in his other siblings.  In a day and age where people say, " I want the truth...or the whole story" YOU can't help, WE can't help but want to give it to them.  We want them to stop asking questions, and gossiping behind clothes doors.   But the REAL TRUTH is this....people often don't want the truth, they want to have their feelings or perspective confirmed.  I have to refer to the statement in the movie " A Few Good Men" where Nicholas emphatically says, " You can't handle the truth!"  

See there is a way of giving people the truth without grumbling, or slandering the individual which is really what today's post is about......how?  STATE THE FACTS, not your FEELINGS.   Let me say this again....STATE ONLY THE FACTS, not your FEELINGS!  See Christ never gave His opinion....why because your opinion is motivated by your feelings, which are not always factual.  He rather pointed people to what the WORD of GOD said on whatever it is they were "inquiring" (I put this in quotations because often they really didn't want to know....but rather wanted to try to TRIP CHRIST up on something....and honestly I believe people still share that same heart from time to time.) about.  

As believers, followers of Christ, we would wise to 1) Repent of any behaviors that may have been contrary to the perfect model.  2) Apologize to those you may have offended when possibly injecting your feelings, into what were probably truthful communications which became slanderous or grumbling. 3) Forgive yourself, and seek to live peaceably with those Christ has blessed to be in your community (work, church, neighborhood....abroad).  Let's get back to LGLP in our words and our deeds.

If you are reading this blog, and I have communicated to you my feelings about___________________ (you insert here whatever you heard from my lips to your ears not through another party) rather than just the TRUTH through the lenses of scripture,  I publicly apologize to you, and pray your forgiveness.   I want my life to lead people to CHRIST not to drive them away.  You are free to call, email, text...or schedule time to even meet with me.....I'll make time to make it right!  GOD BLESS and know that I loved, and still love you.