“ Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13 ESV).
I’ve never been good at declining to listen to gossip. I wish the opposite were true but now you’ve seen one sock from my dirty laundry. We all have a pile of that we don’t wish to air to the world but for some reason I can’t seem to stop myself from paying attention when people thrust someone else’s dirty laundry in front of me. One day last week Cindy* told me about Emma* acting in an unchristian way. Her point was that Emma liked to talk about how well connected her family was to the church yet she proudly told Cindy about something she did that wasn’t nice. Cindy was comparing Emma’s claim to Christianity against not just her actions but her attitude about them.
I know at least one other person who doesn’t go to church because of all the “hypocrites” and another person whose family member had a bad experience so they don’t like “organized religion.” The truth is that no matter how much we tell other people the church is “a hospital for sinners” or that “we all have sin” people will continue to compare what “Christians” say and do with the ideal, which is Jesus. It is important to realize our words and our conduct, good or bad, is a witness about not just our personal beliefs but it also reflects on the church and on God. It seems that many people will judge God based on our, His children’s, fidelity to Him and His principles.
Sometimes I air my own dirty laundry because I feel guilty about it, and I think by going through the streets proclaiming my sin that then I’ll feel better. My conversation with Cindy makes me realize that I should only talk to God regarding my sin unless I need to ask forgiveness of someone I openly sinned against. Although it is interesting to talk about our dirty laundry, with its stains and maybe some holes, the more amazing topic is about how all those stains were cleaned and holes repaired so that not only would you have never realized any of that happened in the first place but it looks even better than it did before all the wear and tear.
“His mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45b NASB). Jesus wants our hearts to be filled with forgiveness, not with the sin He has already covered. He has washed us so that we can shine more brightly than the best looking shirt in a detergent ad! As you move about your week, remember the assurance of salvation we have from our loving Father if we come to Him. And through the wisdom of God, we can exemplify His love through our good conduct in word, action, and most importantly, attitude.
*Names have been changed