Agitation

Question: are you an agitator?  You may be a source of agitation and not even realize it.  How well do you get along with people?  Sometimes people seem to mean well but rub people the wrong way and people seem to not want anything to do with them.  There are different reasons for this and it may not be the fault of the person whatsoever.  Sometimes when we speak to people the right words seem to escape us and we say things that are hurtful instead of helpful.  Then there are those times when people misinterpret what we say to them and they get hurt.  

Think of this; how many times, when people get hurt by what they think someone said, do they let it spew over onto other people and then most of the people that hear about it, when they see that person that was gossiped about, think negatively about that person?  There are people that more than likely don’t like us because of what they have heard about us.  Think of this situation; do you have a brother or sister that looks enough like you that many people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference unless you were both together, and if they get into problems or are agitators themselves, others think that it is you so when they see you and they try to avoid you?  I think I fall into that category at times.

All these things can happen and do you know why some of these things take place?  They happen when we take it upon ourselves to judge other people by what we hear or by something that is said that we think we heard.  How many times do we judge others by what we hear about them?  The saying that if you can’t say anything good about someone, you should not say anything at all is true.  Gossip, slander, tale bearing and judging people can be very sinful and are not good and can be very harmful.  Many people have a tendency to believe whatever they hear instead of seeking the truth.  I realize as I am getting older that many of the things I have heard over the years that I believed were not true.  When we let what we hear shape what we think we can run into some real problems.

Think of Joshua and Caleb and the other ten spies that spied out the Promised Land.  Ten of them came back with a bad report, a downright negative and scary report.  Almost everyone believed them and such fear went through them that it basically paralyzed their way of thinking to the point they wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb who came back with a positive very good report.  Check out Numbers chapters 13 and 14.  

Someone told me the other day that she didn’t believe anything she heard and only half of what she saw. I don’t think that is the best advice because we need to believe some of what we hear and also quite possibly more than half of what we see.  Many people don’t want to admit it but there is truth and we need to take those things to heart and live by them.  It seems like we throw the baby out with the bath water, so to speak, going about with no balance in our lives.  One thing we can do is study the things we hear for ourselves and give the people that we hear negative reports about, the benefit of the doubt and either not lesson or not add to the gossip we hear about other people.  I have been guilty of this over the years and have since then repented and confessed it and I am trying hard not to repeat these things.  Mainly what happens in these situations is that we can destroy the person’s character because you can never undo the damage you have done.

I am just reminded of a story I heard that was of a similar situation.  This is my version; a lady went to a pastor and confessed she had gossiped and asked him what she should do.  His reply was to go get a pillow case, fill it with feathers and take it to the top of the Empire State Building and empty it over the side, which she did.  Then she went back and told the pastor what she did and his reply was to now go and pick up all the feathers, which was about impossible since it was a very windy day that day and they were spread out all over.  That is what happens with gossip, the damage can never be repaired.

In Joshua and Caleb’s case, I wonder how much gossip, back biting and slander took place at that time.  I know the consequences were very severe and none of those that believed the other ten spies negative report, from 20 years old and older, went into the Promised Land.  I don’t know if anyone can honestly say they have never been guilty of any of these sins.  There are many things said about these sins in the Word of God and no one will be held unaccountable that commits them, so if this is speaking to you and you are caught up in any of these sins confess them to the Lord and repent and ask Him to forgive you and then do your best, with the Lord’s help, never to repeat them again.

Read 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  

I have given you something to think about, I hope you will!  May the good Lord bless you and keep you and yours and may you have a super duper day!!