Saturday, March 3
Saturday, March 3
James 4:11-12 – Boasting About Tomorrow
After reading this Scripture passage, I really did not know how I was going to approach this lesson. I thought that since slander is not an issue for me what could I possibly learn and share? God, however, in his infinite wisdom had a lesson planned for me. After a lot of prayer and reflection, a thought came to mind, ‘what about gossip?’ I immediately knew there was a lesson to be learned and shared.
Slander and gossip are rooted in the same sin – saying something about someone that shouldn’t be said. There are at least four reasons for refraining from saying something that shouldn’t be said; (1) it may not be true, (2) the hearer may not need to hear what is said, (3) what is shared may hurt someone, and (4) other people around may not need to hear what is being shared. What does God think about gossip? He hates it as much as he hates slander (cf. Romans 1:28-32).
No doubt, refraining from being a gossip participant can be difficult. A simple two-pronged self-test might be helpful if performed before sharing information about another: (1) has the person given permission to share the information and, (2) would the information be shared if the person were present? If the answer to either question is “No,” then the information should not be shared.
Reflecting on recent conversations with family and/or close friends, in some instances, the answer has been “No” for me. This is a painful but truthful admission of sin. However, I am truly thankful that as a Christian, I am able to confess and be forgiven of my sins.
Living Out Lent: Sometimes we have to look deeper, pray longer, and wait patiently for God to teach us the lesson he wants us to learn.
Katrina Rolle is married to Gary Rolle, M.D., and they have four children. Katrina is a charter member of St. Peters. She currently serves as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and is a former Vestry member.