Menu
I’m sure that it’s not just me, but have you noticed that more and more, in today’s culture, speaking your “truth” and “clapping back” is celebrated by millions. Just look on your social media feed to see what I mean. We cheer while others are humiliated in videos, make spiteful comments to those who are hurting, and lash out with hostile words when we’re offended. We often forget that as believers in Christ, we are called to live higher. We are to imitate the life of Christ and not mirror our behavior after what’s popular in culture (Ephesians 5:1-5). We are to be the light in a world filled with darkness (Ephesians 5:8). The apostle Paul tells us that our words are to be seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6) instead of being laced with bitterness, contempt, frustration, and the list goes on.
Let’s take a moment and applaud a woman in the bible named Hannah, who despite being ridiculed (1 Samuel 1:6-8) and accused of being a drunkard (1 Samuel 1:14), she did not take to social media and “clap back” or humiliate her accusers by encouraging others to make her post viral. Instead, she took her hurt, distress, and pain to God. Maybe there’s a lesson here for us.
When my husband left, there was a part of me who wanted to share with the world how awful he treated me, but God told me to remain silent. Even when I was served with court papers after I started my new job, and painted out to be a modern-day, gold-diggers in a courtroom filled with spectators, the Lord told me to do not clap back. I believe that the Lord was teaching me a lesson of meekness, meaning the Holy Spirit taught me how to exercise patience and spiritual restraint. Meekness is simply power under control. It’s a virtue that is drawn from God. What that looked like for me was remaining quiet when someone attempted to be disrespectful or walking away from conflict, knowing that I could have “clapped back” with harsh words or taken more drastic actions. Instead, the Holy Spirit taught me that remaining quiet and walking away from conflict was not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength and humility.
I hope this message blessed you. If you want to stay in touch, know what going on with me, or purchase my book, please visit my website. www.dr.vernell.com
Stay Connected!