The Trap Of Bad Reports.htm

The Trap Of Bad Reports

Anyone can find unscriptural areas of other people’s life or ministry when they make the effort to look for it, but practicing one’s faith in a proper manner before God is far better. Because God is love, the most important lesson God wants you to learn on earth is how to love. By loving those we encounter, we become more like Christ, because love is the foundational command he has given his church. Christ said, the whole law can be summed up in one command: Love others as you love yourself.

Learning to love is not easy to do because loving others is works against our own self importance, requiring you to put others first. That is hard to do, but God in his infinite wisdom gave you a lifetime to learn how to love as he does. God wants you to love your neighbor, especially those within the family of God, as you love yourself.

I was asked to review a book by a friend with the report that they heard it was unscriptural. One thing is certain, if you are doing the will of God you are going to be criticized and persecuted. I know that no one in the church is perfect and my ministry is not up to snuff, but does not give me the right to judge someone else. The Bible says, love finds no fault so do we love our brother’s in Christ when we spread rumors about a ministry that God ordained? Would any of us need Christ if we were perfect? God’s word declares that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Every man was born in sin and all have gone astray. The person bringing the accusation had heard a bad report from a friend and was caught in the trap to spread negative connotations to anyone willing to listen.

First let us consider where the false report originated. This report did not further his agenda or wasn’t his beliefs. Secondly, the person who asked for the review was caught in the effect the rumor encouraged. God permits you to disagree, but this is when you and I need to stop and think of what our actions do. Bad news sells newspaper but in the Christian world bad news can destroy the ministry of a man devoted to Christ. The rumor in turn destroys the work of Christ and the Lord you serve. God does not want rumors about your brothers in Christ to go in your ears and out your mouth. What you are doing is like trying to sell a car by saying that it’s a rust bucket.

God knows that all men have fallen short of his glory but God prefers perfection in the relationship you have with him. Finding faults in anyone’s ministry is not a ministry God gives to Christians. God has never told us to destroy the lives of others, but focus on building them up with the truth of God’s word. You are commanded to restore those caught in sin gently but never tear anyone down by disagreeing with him. However, make sure you don’t have a plank in your eye, all of us have areas to work on.

People who entertain bad reports about people within the church would do better to pay closer attention to their own ministry. I know a good evangelist that tore down another person’s ministry, but in doing so spent time they could have used for the glory of God. People who spread rumors need to be reminded that God’s laws consist of Love. Accusing the brethren is what Satan does best.

Love keeps no record of wrongs but always protects, trusts, and hopes. Spreading rumors does the exact opposite but making the faults of others known to the public is hoeing the garden to make the rumors grow. Take notice, those who spread rumors never have solutions. God calls you to be peacemakers, who solve problems and involved in the solution. When you point fingers you hurt those God loves and plant seed for a future harvest. In other words you shall reap what you sow.

Christ also said, that the doorkeeper would be better off found busy doing his job when he returned. Spreading rumors is not a part of the Christians job description, nor does it describe the love God wants you to employ. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on and do the job that God has ordained for you?

Satan is the accuser of the brethren, but whose side are we on? If you spread rumors you tear the kingdom of God down which is the desire of Satan.

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