What Are You Teaching?
I had coffee with a friend this last week and we talked a bit about family dynamics of how they communicate and then communicating the truth as Christians. This days study fits right in with that conversation. We learn our communication skills from our family and we pass them along to our children and their children. In counseling, I see those that communicate by yelling and there are some that communicate silently. Oh, yes and then there are the passive aggressiveness communications style. None of these are healthy or nor do they work.2 Timothy 2: 14 & 23-26 talks about NOT quarreling, which are of no value, ruins those that listen, they are foolish and stupid, causes resentment. Paul shares that we need to warn them, be kind to everyone, able to teach, and gently instruct. The final reason for this is so that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of truth. The glory goes to God.
Beth shares that we will wield weapons of slander when we call gossip Informing, judgement discernment, misogyny authority, anger righteous indignation, lust appreciation, arrogance confidence, profanity passion, and hate debate. Misconduct gets reframed as Christan duty.
Older Christians teach younger Christians how to handle opponents. Every Christian is gifted for influence. We are actively teaching how to speak, love, relate, fight, hate, encourage, discourage, build up and tear down in the name of Jesus. My question for us to ponder today is what are you teaching?