Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”
We live in incendiary times. I rarely peek at the comments section of online articles anymore because of the verbal fire-bombing so often found there. Just this week I saw similar rhetoric on LinkedIn, usually a subdued medium because of its non-anonymous membership. As a Christian, I must be bold to seek truth, expose lies, and share my faith in the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). But I must never confuse boldness for venting, sneering, and ad hominem attacks. There is a vicious ugliness to online – and increasingly in-person – dialogue that is easy to fall into. But God’s Word teaches that a righteous person ponders how to answer while a wicked person just rears back and spews.
As a representative of Jesus Christ I must fight, but not with the same tactics as my enemies. Proverbs 24:29 “Do not say, I’ll do to him as he has done to me; I’ll pay that man back for what he did.” This doesn’t mean, however, that I am to be all mildness and acquiescence, studiously avoiding controversy. Jesus didn’t mince words or treat evil gently. His strong and extended rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 23 is just one of many examples; read it to shatter any illusions to the contrary. Nevertheless, I am human and therefore wrong if I consider my first impulse to be righteous, if I take matters into my own hands, if I place all trust in my own flawed methods. That is why God’s Word instructs me to ponder before giving an answer.
And I must never take revenge, remembering that every man will have his day in God’s court. Romans 12:19 “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” This is about self-control, which is not easy and requires focused, sustained effort. Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy.”
Father, in these times when I recoil in disgust over endless streams of propaganda, fear-mongering, and evil celebrated as virtue, please give me patience to reflect and learn how you want me to respond. May I do nothing that discredits the Christian faith or tarnishes the name of Jesus Christ.
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This week: When you are tempted to vent or retaliate, take a deep breath, pray, and immerse yourself in God’s Word. The Lord is with you and will show you what to say and when to say it.
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