“I don’t want to get involved.”
How often do we sit back and watch as someone is slandered, gossiped about, or falsely accused?
Be it on this platform, on the job, in the church, or in everyday conversations, it happens far too often in the Christian community.
It is something THE LORD HATES.
Hate is a very strong word.
Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
We sit back, not wanting to “get involved,” even when we know this behavior is in direct rebellion to the Word of God.
We choose to allow this because we don’t want to become the next victim.
We want to protect our reputation… yet Jesus made Himself a man of “no reputation.”
We allow this to happen to people we call brothers, sisters, and friends.
John 15:13-14 – Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.
We act cowardly to protect ourselves.
However, the Lord said, “Count it all joy when you are persecuted for my name’s sake.”
When we look to Scripture, we see this very thing at Stephen’s stoning.
It wasn’t the killers who took off their cloaks and laid them at Saul’s feet.
It was the witnesses.
It was those who OBSERVED the stoning and yet did NOTHING.
They took off their cloaks (the proper translation would be “mantle”—we could go much deeper into this spiritually) because they didn’t want to get blood on their clothing.
Their silence was their sin.
This made them equally as guilty.
If you can’t stand for a friend, you aren’t a friend.
You aren’t a brother.
You aren’t a sister.
You are simply an observer of the bloodbath.
A spectator who did nothing.
How will you stand in the face of persecution when you can’t even stand for a friend?
I will never defend myself—God is my defender.
I’ve learned that remaining silent is absolute wisdom.
But you best believe, if you misrepresent a brother or sister in the Lord, I will not allow it to go uncorrected.
I won’t let it slide.
I won’t sit silent.
I won’t lay my cloak at the feet of Saul, nor follow the crowd.
I will lay down my life for a friend.
Spiritual food for thought.
To learn more about Heidi and her Kingdom passion, visit Kingdom Come Home
Featured Image by Papaioannou Kostas
