Yesterday, my husband & I attended a Matthew West concert at Pentecostals of Alexandria. While I was there, the Lord revealed some things to me. When I arrived I knew things were different in the Pentacostal Religion. Most of the women were dressed in skirts, with their hair up in a bun, and most men were dressed in suits. I began to ask the woman sitting next to me about their doctrine. She kindly explained some of the things they do and why they do them. As Matthew West came out, everyone was standing up, hooting and hollering, with their hands raised.
Then…it was so weird, especially looking back on it after it happened. It was like all the sudden, all of us were pushed down to sit. It almost looked like the domino effect. If you’ve never saw me praising God, I usually have my hands raised, swaying back and forth, or one had is raised and the other is always on my heart. I sat down, and looked immediately at my husband and said, “That was weird.”. Something didn’t sit well in my spirit. I said to him, “It was like Satan flicked us and we all fell over.” Which later brought me to the scripture Ephesians 4:14.
“Then we will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us—those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way.” -Ephesians 4:14 ERV
I am not relating this scripture by stating that this congregation didn’t have sound doctrine nor am I saying it is wrong to sit down at a Matthew West concert. (Sorry Matt!)
The reason why I was reminded of this scripture is how many times do we follow the crowd instead of where Christ is taking us? We see someone else doing something that looks cool, so we try it. Even though it goes against everything God’s word states, it’s okay because its “socially acceptable” by our friends, family, and even some of our Church family.
“You people are not faithful to God! You should know that loving what the world has is the same as hating God. So anyone who wants to be friends with this evil world becomes God’s enemy.” -James 4:4 ERV
Sarcasm and swearing are two of the biggest examples I can think of at the moment. If you knew me back in the day, every other word was either drenched in sarcasm or profanity. The word has socially accepted sarcasm. Many people think it is hilarious. But when we begin to look at saying things sarcastically, it speaks death instead of life into whoever we are talking to.
Sarcasm:
- a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
- a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual
- the use or language of sarcasm
We are called to edify one another, not cut one another down.
“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.” -Ephesians 4:29
“Let there be no filthiness (obscenity, indecency) nor foolish and sinful (silly and corrupt) talk, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting or becoming; but instead voice your thankfulness [to God].” -Ephesians 5:4
 It has been a journey from turning my dark language into something colorful that glorifies God. I am not perfect, I trip up sometimes, but I am a lot better than I used to be! As Children of God, we are called to show Our Father’s character. People that don’t know God aren’t searching for people who are friends with this fallen world, they are searching for people who reflect Christ’s character. My prayer is that when people see me, they know something is different about me and they want what I have. Which is a relationship with God!
My reflection questions to end this post for today are:
- How often do you edify people with your words?
- On the flip side, how often are you sarcastic?
- Do you go with the world’s trends instead of sticking with the Word of God?
- If you were the only one standing up for God, would you stand or sit down with everyone else?
Thank-you Holy Spirit for the inspiration of this post! I hope that you enjoyed this post today, even if it was challenging. If you aren’t stretched, you aren’t growing! Remember, as you are going through this, rely on God for strength and don’t be too hard on yourself. Change doesn’t happen overnight and the fact that you are even attempting is a good thing! If you have any questions, need accountability, or need some support through this process feel free to message, comment, or email me!
