Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 20:16-20
Prov 20:16-20
16 Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners. 17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel. 18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. 19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler. 20 If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
Col 3:8-10
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
It seems to me that many of us have a tendency to discount the seriousness of sin when we think it is a “small” sin. We treat some sins as being wrong but still as being acceptable. Gossip, slander, complaining, and griping are just a few of these. It is ok to tell a lie as long as it is a “white lie” and we don’t see how it will hurt anyone. But these things are listed as a lifestyle that we are to put off just the same as a list of previous sins that include immorality and idolatry.
Sin is sin. Sin is anything that goes against the nature and glory of God. While it is true that some sins have greater consequences for us now, any sin is an affront to God and his holiness. Judging others is a form of slander and when we talk badly about someone, we have gossiped about them. (I know there are cases where we will discuss the faults of someone so that we can best determine how to approach them and help them do better, but this is usually the exception.)
I have been reminded many times that anyone who will talk bad about others to me, will probably also talk bad about me to others. To dwell on the faults of others does not make me any better. We are not to compare ourselves to ourselves. We are to compare ourselves to Jesus, the perfect example. Our goal should be to become just like him in all that we say and all we do. Before we say it, we need to remember that we want to treat others the way we want to be treated.
O Lord God, help me guard my lips and keep my mouth so that I will only say those things that build up others and never say things that would tear them down. Use me to bring glory to you. Forgive me when I fail to be like Jesus. Help me and all of your people that we will not let the world influence us to be like them and to allow any sin as acceptable. Help us to be at peace with each other and to love each other so the world will see Jesus in us. Thank you for providing a way for me to have my sins forgiven in Jesus Christ. In his name I humbly pray.
Robert
