Proverbs 16:27-28

²⁷A scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire. ²⁸A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

Videos

Social media had proven that humorous videos attract viewers more than religious articles. Social media subscribers are also tickled by gossip and quarrels. Even Christians entertain humorous stories published online.

Test it yourself: Who is your favorite celebrity? King Charles? If King Charles is appealing for help in social media, will you be interested to share or ignore? Now, if social media publish a gossip about a certain illness that King Charles suffer from, are you enticed to read and tell others about it?

Celebrity gossips attract millions of viewers. Reels about humor of life or videos about deception attract more than worship service livestream. It’s not shocking that only a few people subscribe to spiritual matters, why? It is a very sad reality that practically proves what Jesus Christ had declared in Matthew 7:13,¹³Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Christ said it, and it’ll happen. More people will suffer eternal torture. Relatives and friends could be some of them. But God can mysteriously prevent it, if we diligently pray for relatives and friends. If relatives are in this city, pray that they may observe your transformed life, and they may desire to know Christ or even attend this church. We want it to happen.

If friends live somewhere abroad, pray that the Lord sends someone who may share the gospel with them. Or if the Lord inspires you, you may share or send a written presentation of the gospel of Christ. Don’t just send randomly. Pray for discernment and observe spiritual hunger or curiosity.

When Christ mandated us to testify for our personal transformation, he instructed that we must first wait for power from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit himself signals divine appointment for us to know when to speak and when to stop speaking. Telling others about Christ is glorious adventure.

Unless Christ transforms us, we behave in worldly manner. Unless we are inspired by the Holy Spirit, our tendency can be reckless. Reckless people won’t care if their lips utter words that may offend like scorching fire.

1. Scorch

            ²⁷A scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.

We prioritize to obey and serve the Lord gladly instead of plotting evil.

Instead of scorching fire of malicious gossip, praise of gratitude comes out of our lips. When we are offended, retaliation is careless reaction. But after Christ has transformed us, we care more to pray for offenders to trust Christ as Lord. It’s wonderful mystery when offenders believe in Christ!

Honor

A smart young person brought gladness to his parents. He excelled in his studies. But his siblings cannot appreciate his smartness. They were sour. The young man did not ignore or forget how his siblings treated him. He remembered their hostility toward him. But after he personally trusted Christ and experience his grace, something mysterious happened to him.

Instead of retaliating against his hostile siblings, he prayed for their salvation and even did his very best to share his material abundance to them. Some of his siblings came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

This story can happen to anybody. Hostility had historically distorted relationship among siblings. Biblically, the first brothers had tragic narrative.

Together, let’s seriously reflect on what it recorded in Genesis 4:3-8.

         ³In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. ⁴And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, ⁵but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. ⁶Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” ⁸Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

This tragic narrative should warn us that sibling hostility is real. We should not take it for granted. Many siblings want to perform better than their siblings just to get parental approval. It is very unpleasant impulse.

Moreover, when aversion toward others is provoked or pressured, resentment is instinctive reaction. In comparison, when Christ transformed us, we sense love instead of hatred. Additionally, kindness and goodness testify that Christ has transformed us, we associate and not separate.

We still pray for them, even if friends choose to separate themselves.

2. Separate

²⁸A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

Can you easily sense a person who is controlled by perverse instinct? Troublemakers gossip to separate friends, even relatives. By faith, we trust that the Lord took and crucified with Christ our sins, hatred and resentment.

And when we repent of our sins, the Lord forgives us, and he purifies even perverse and rebellious behavior. When the Lord produces love in our heart, we would rather do goodness and kindness toward offenders. That is a transformation that we could cherish and explore as we trust Christ.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ favors us even more when we seek inspiration of the Holy Spirit to prayerfully follow his instruction cheerfully.

Together, let’s reflect on Deuteronomy 28:1-3, ¹If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ²All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: ³You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

Blessing and obedience to the Lord are inseparable twins. The Lord emphasized that he blesses us when we follow his commands. Obedience inspired by the Holy Spirit is God’s preferred way to distribute his blessing.

The phrase “blessed in the city and blessed in the country” implies that God situates us where he already prepared blessings for obedience.

William Carey

You may have heard of William Carey. He was widely know as the “father of modern mission.” Before he went to mission frontiers, Carey tried to convince fellow Baptists that the Great Commission required going out into the mission frontiers and make disciples. There’s fiery resistance. An older pastor shouted at Carey, “Young man, sit down. When God pleases to convert the pagans, he will do it without your help and mine.”

Anyway, Carey spent 40 years in mission frontiers (particularly in India). His slogan: “Expect great things from God—attempt great things for God!” Indeed, his name resounded in our generation for the great things he attempted while the old pastor who shouted at him sadly pictured as villain.

Descendants of the angry old pastor who shouted at Carey may feel very sorry but descendants of Carey praise God for his obedience to his call. Have you heard if you were called to missions? It says in Luke 11:25,

         ²⁵“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Blessedness is extreme happiness as result of obedience to the Lord.

Attempt great things for God and explore much of his sufficient grace.

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