What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words. Proverbs 18:21 Good News Translation
“Did he say or do anything to make you not like him anymore?” I asked the young man.
“No” he replied. “I just don’t feel like he is a very good leader and he probably doesn’t care about me.” He continued, “it seems like I want to believe that he is a good guy, but something keeps revealing to me all of his faults.”
“Have you talked about this with anyone else?” I inquired.
“Just a few people, it’s weird, because all of us have been thinking the same thing. That must mean that we are right about noticing his failures. Don’t you agree?”
“No, I don’t agree.” Before I give you my answer, “Didn’t you have another question that you wanted to talk with me about?”
“Oh yea! Recently, at work I have had a lot of trouble with my fellow employees. We just don’t seem to be getting along. They don’t like the way that I tell them how to do their jobs. Sometimes, I think that they are whispering about me and seem to stop when I come up. It just seems like a bad work environment with lots of complaining about each other. Can you pray for those other guys to stop comparing me to the last leader? I think the whole team would be better if maybe one or two people would stop stirring up strife.”
“Two thoughts come to my mind,” I said. First, any slander and accusation that you feel or sense about another person in authority, especially a fellow follower of Jesus Christ has its origin from the devil. Revelation 12:10 states the the devil is the accuser of the bretheren. He accuses and slanders us day and night. When you speak about another person in an accusatory way, you are just being a puppet for the devil to speak ill of another person. If they have offended or hurt you, go to the person. To talk with others is just speaking the words of death over them that the devil wants to be spoken.
“Secondly, you are eating rotten fruit because that is all you have planted.” He looked stunned.
“I have been a good worker. I want good for our company. I try to be kind and create a good environment at work. It’s the other people that are causing all the problems. They have never been good team players. It’s probably because of their partying all the time. I’ve heard that they have even been unfaithful to their spouse.” Don’t blame me for their bad behavior.” He was very agitated and let out a few huffs and grunts.
“I am just saying, you have the choice to speak life or death over other individuals. It’s totally within your power to choose which fruit to plant. When you speak ill of your authorities, you are planting seeds for others to speak ill of you. When you give voice to a spirit of accusations about your friends, you give permission to the devil to find others to talk negatively about you.”
“You can talk negatively, positively or keep silent. But you will receive the fruit of the seeds that you plant.”
So, I bless you to choose wisely and speak life. Seeds take time to grow into a plant and bear fruit. So start planting words of life, hope, blessings, goodwill, prospering, and love about others in your sphere of influence. Keep on casting that bread upon the water, soon it will come back to you in abundance.”
“What if a leader, boss or parent truly has made a mistake, what do I do then? Don’t I have a right to complain or point it out?” He sincerely asked.
“Great question!, But I am out of time. Just keep letting blessing flow forth out of your lips and we will discuss your other options next time we get together.”
Blessing Love ya.