30 DAYS IN TAMING YOUR TONGUE DAY 25

DAY 25 THE ACCUSING TONGUE

The Bible is replete with stories and instance of false accusations being made against godly people. Such charges can derail a career, disrupt unity, and wreak havoc in a person’s life. Of course, Satan is the ultimate “accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before God day and night” REVELATIONS 12:10.

 Notwithstanding, God is faithful to His children and has promised “No weapon turned against you will succeed. And everyone who tells lies in court will be brought to justice. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I the LORD, have spoken” ISAIAH 54:17

Let’s look at the story of Job. He had lost his children, his health, and his wealth. To add insult to injury, his insensitive, well-meaning friends accused him of pride, covetousness, and a host of other character failings. (JOB 22)

Three miserable comforters spent the majority of the time trying to convince Job he was responsible for his own woes. Such an accusation was more that this innocent victim of satanic circumstances could bear. Job knew he was an upright man. Being burdened with physical pain, he was also forced to bear the pain of false accusations.

Have you ever charged someone with wrongdoing before you established evidence of their guilt?

Emotional and spiritual maturity dictates that you must seek first to understand rather than making accusations. Look at the example God set in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. He could have easily said “Adam and Eve, you ungrateful sinners, I should never have trusted you in My garden!” God’s non-accusatory style in confronting Adam and Eve about their trespass provides a powerful model for those of us who tend to accuse before obtaining all the facts of the matter.

“The Lord God called to Adam and said to him “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Genesis 3:9-11

Even though God already knew the answers he gave Adam an opportunity to explain his behavior.

Has anyone ever accused you falsely? Have your motives been called into question when you knew they were pure? How should you respond to such injustice? The first step is to ask God’s guidance as to whether to proclaim your innocence and the best way to do so. If the lie has affected someone, you might explain to THAT person that the accusation is simply not true. You have NO CONTROL over whether or not they will believe you.  Also, if you are not certain who the perpetrator is, do not waste your energy trying to find the source of the lie.

If you have the opportunity to refute an accusation, DO SO. If not, simply ask God to bring the truth to light. Remember God is the vindicator and he will see that justice is done.

READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

PROVERBS 3:30    PROVERBS 30:10  PSALM 109:31 ISAIAH 50:9

1)               Read Job 22:6-11. List three failings that Job’s friend Eliphaz accused him of to explain why Job was suffering?

2)              Have you ever made an accusation against someone, only to discover you were wrong? What did you do next? Were your actions such as “becometh holiness”

3)              We must always seek first to understand before making an accusation or drawing a conclusion about a person’s actions.

4)              Write out a prayer asking God to help you not to be a false accuser but to seek first to understand and be diligent in gathering the fact.