If you have been on social media at all in the past week, you will have noticed a great deal of controversy in people’s responses to events. Everything from a Supreme Court ruling to a presidential candidate’s views on immigration to reactions towards the confederate and U.S. flags have sparked debate and hateful comments from both sides. As a person involved in ministry, you cannot hope to avoid hearing about issues like these. How you respond can impact your ministry for today and the future.
Think on These Things
Figuring out how to handle these controversial issues can be difficult. Even if you do not have to deal directly with major events, you will spend time around people who want to discuss the latest hot topic. You will also have other situations to respond to, based on the needs of the people you serve.
One Bible verse that should always be your focus is in Philippians 4:8 that says to think on “whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report.” This does not mean you should hide from the difficult topics or situations that come up in life, but it does tell you that your focus and thoughts should be on things that fit this description.
The Bible also tells us that whatever we focus on inside us will come out in our words and our actions. We first have to get our thought lives under control to ensure that the words we speak to others and the behaviors we show are in line with the Word of God and His will. With so much negativity around us and controversy, we must put our focus on topics that fit the description in Philippians.
Edify Others
Another Scripture that should dictate what comes out of our mouths is found in Ephesians 4: 29 that says to not let corrupt communication come out of your mouth but to speak what is edifying so that you may offer grace to those that hear it. This is a pretty tall order, especially since human nature is to focus on the negative, the hateful, the antagonistic. Instead, we are told to speak only things that edify others.
To understand what this means in the practical sense, you must realize the meaning of edify. The definition is to instruct or improve someone, especially in the moral or spiritual sense. We are to teach others how to live, but it is to be done in a spirit of love, of concern for them rather than just to stir up discord. It must also be done in the right time and in the appropriate way.
These instructions to think on good and honest things and to instruct and edify others does not give you concrete rules on what to say in response to controversial topics that appear in today’s society. However, they do provide a base for which you can determine if what you are saying is appropriate for a Christian and someone involved in ministry.
The decision often comes back to the reason for your words and how you say something as much as what you say. If you weigh your words against the guidelines provided by Scripture and keep your thoughts centered on God-approved subjects, you will be setting the right example in your ministry.
Reblogged this on OLÚSÈYÍ.