Slandered!

I'm sure as I write this, that it's happened to many of you.  You go to work one day and people are looking at you funny and asking strange questions.  You might not think anything of it till you get called into a meeting with managers, where they start grilling you on events gone by.

As you try to recollect the details of the events that transpired you have the sinking feeling in your gut that you have been slandered.  Your motives have been called into question.  It's a horrible feeling.  It can wreck your best day and cause many sleepless nights.

I am here to tell you that God is faithful.  If you will stick with God and determine not to become bitter or vengeful God will vindicate you.  He got me out of many nasty situations that the HR manager called 'a poisoned work environment'.  And praise the Lord, I never lost my job!

I was wondering how slander gets started and it's so sneaky.  It can start off with being disappointed and then you want to 'air' your feelings.  It can start with you wanting to manipulate a person, because of preconceived ideas of what you need them to do, so you feel comfortable or satisfied.  Most of the roots are fear based.  You start asking why and eventually you'll get to a fear based reason.

I hate fear because it's not from God.  So when I recognize it in my life I go after it to root it out.  Here are some scriptures I have been using to renew my mind  so I don't become the enemy's tool to destroy someone else.


Thank You Lord that I am wise because I don't utter slander.  (ref. Prov. 10:19)
Those who hide hatred with lying lips are fools, (Prov. 10:18).  Therefore I choose to forgive and You look after me. 

Thank You Lord that it's to a person's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. Prov. 20:3

Thank You Lord that the reverential fear of YOU if the beginning of wisdom!  I draw near and ask for more please.  (Ps. 111:10, Prov. 9:10)

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels, they go down to a man's inmost parts. (Prov. 26:22)
A gossip separates close friends. (Prov. 16:28)

Thank You Lord that though bosses sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. (Ps 119:23)

Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it. (Prov. 30:10 italics mine)

That's warning enough eh?  You'll pay for slandering others!  Lord have mercy on us and give us a great guard over our mouths and set watch over our lips so that we don't sin against You or others that You died for.  (Ps. 141:3) Amen.

Bless you today!
Big hugs,
Brenda Gale Thompson

P.S. If this has blessed you please share!

John Belt: God Is Giving Out New "Out of the Box" Ways of Doing Things

Really good article especially the part about prayer groups and gossip.  Something we all need to be aware of.
Enjoy!

John Belt: God Is Giving Out New "Out of the Box" Ways of Doing Things

Waiting Patiently, Muddy and All

 ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD;
   he turned to me and heard my cry.
² He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.
³ He put a new song in my mouth,
   a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
   and put their trust in him.
(Psalm 40:1-3 italics mine)

I love this Psalm because it is so encouraging.  The author has been in a slimy pit, in the mud and mire. Have you ever been in a slimy pit?  Maybe not a physical one, but how about a situation where no matter what you say people misunderstand you?  That's no fun for sure.

How about finding yourself in some mud or mire?    Maybe not physically but how about the gossip that people throw at you?  All the innuendos,  the slurs and slams behind your back.  It hurts and it sticks to you just like mud.

Have you ever been mired in a messy situation? You might not have done anything wrong except be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  These situations can weigh heavily on your mind and steal your peace, your joy and even your sleep.

This Psalm promises that if we will wait on the Lord, He will lift us out of the mire and put us on the rock.  That means so much to me because God does not change and He has exalted His word above all things. (Mal. 3:6, Ps. 138:2) He will lift us out of the mud and the mire (verse 2).

If we will wait on the Lord, muddy or not, He will make it right.  And while we are waiting, let's go after the  spirit of leviathan that causes people to misunderstand us and jump to wrong conclusions. Let's claim, clear, open communication without hidden agendas, in all our relationships and Let's ask for a great guard on our mouths and our lips.

Let's declare some good words: "Thank You Lord that Your words of love, grace, mercy and power flow through us all the time. Thank You Lord for camaraderie and mutual respect in all our relationships. Show us how to ask clarifying questions where there is opportunity for offense. Teach us to extend grace to all the people we meet.  Amen."

Verse three does come to pass.  He has put a New Song in my mouth every time I was in mud, mire or a pit.  He is faithful!  What He's done for me He will do for you! Hallelujah!

What Grieves My Heart

It was a great prayer meeting. We praised and worshiped until we felt Holy Spirit's manifest presence then we stood in quiet silence while He touched our hearts. I love times like that. He knows how to heal the wounds of the day. We felt to pray for a lady that was going through a rough time and God gave me a word for her. Then the retired leader gave a word in tongues. I wasn't paying attention because He was talking to me and then somebody nudged me, "Interpret."

"Lord, what do I say?" I quickly asked... and I gave the interpretation. Holy Spirit confirmed the word, giving the lady a breakthrough and there were many tears and hugs. Hallelujah! To God be all the Glory.

As I was leaving a lady came up to me and said she felt to tell me something. I said okay and she waited till the people had left my side and started talking. She said she felt to warn me about a sister that I should not associate with, because she had an "inner trauma" that had not been dealt with and her gift might be used by the enemy. I
told her I would pray about it and left.

I departed and started praying immediately, because I felt offense trying to get in. "Maybe that's why my friend did that," I was thinking... after all, the lady that had warned me was a supposed "mature Christian." After a few hours of prayer I knew, but I knew, that my friend was just fine and this lady was being used by the devil to slander, gossip and hurt the body of Christ. Jealousy and pride had caused her to overstep her authority.

I told my Pastor what had happened and he told me to go confront this person. I'm praying about how to do this.

I know it's easier to be cautious about "warnings" like that, but I beg you to press into the Lord for His heart, before you go along with someone "who warns you about another Christian." I mean think about it... who's greater? If we are afraid to associate with someone because they might not be perfect yet, we will be alone forever. The last time I checked, we were all in the process of being sanctified.(Heb 10:14) If we believe that the devil is greater than God, Holy Spirit inside of us, shame on us! If His power can't keep us and protect us from ALL evil, then we need to renew our minds.(Rom 12:2-3)

We are entering an era where the acts of the apostles are going to be done again. We do not want to shut it down, in our midst by listening to the "warnings" of other people. Let's go test the fruit of that person's life, first.

P.S. I did a google image search on "slander" and it came up with many images of a person whispering in another person's ear and it also came up with a hangman's noose. If the world can figure out that slander is "death by words"... why can't the church?