Have you ever been to eat at a place where the regulars go?
You know the place when you walk in because the waitress
knows them by name and knows exactly how many creams and sugars they need in
their morning cup of Joe. Those are the places where I love to find a corner
booth by myself and eat while enjoying the overheard conversations of the
regulars.
Recently, I found myself sitting in the corner booth of a
McDonald's because (1) I needed a place away from the distractions of home to
get some assignments done, and (2) they have the best coffee in my little town!
I was surprised to see that even McDonald's has a group of regulars who come
for breakfast. They were enjoying themselves and I was enjoying their
lighthearted conversation from the comfort of my corner. I really don't know
what they were talking about. The conversation didn't matter. The smiles on
their faces did.
Then, I heard a few short words that took me completely away
from my intended purposes.
Stop, that's not nice. Now, get back to work.
This very bold statement didn't come from the regulars. No,
it came from the restaurant manager and was directed at two female
employees who were saying something that wasn't so pleasant about someone
else.
Have you ever had a spiritual revelation in the most oddest
of places? He made his statement, then he carried on and they returned back to
working instead of downing someone. All I could think about is how our heavenly
father must feel when we talk about his children. I can just hear him say:
Stop, that’s not nice. Now, get back to work.
There is work to do for his kingdom. We don’t have time to
fill our days with endless chatter, backbiting, gossiping, and the like. Our conversations
need to be about lifting up people, not tearing them down. When we have
disagreements with someone, and it will happen, we need to do as the Bible
instructs and go to that person; NOT everyone else.
If women in the church house can't get along, how do we
expect to win other women to Christ?
Are there people who are deliberately deceitful? Yes, but we
can't allow their actions to cause us to disregard God's intended purposes.
We must stop talking about other women. We must stop calling
Sister so-and-so to ask for "prayer" about the situation when we know good and
well that our real aim is to find someone who will listen and take our side. We
are talking about people's lives. We can't let petty things, which are worth
little value, keep us from doing kingdom work. We must be vigilant in our
efforts to seek peace.
Stop, that’s not nice.
Now, get back to work.
