Titus 2

Titus 2:3-5 (NKJ)
…the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things–
that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Slander. The word sounds a bit heinous, almost criminal (maybe because in our justice system, it is.) You and I most likely immediately dissociate with such a term — we certainly don’t think it fits our behavior patterns. After all, we’re just sharing information, or maybe a small joke or two about that person down the street. We may even stray into some innocent gossip from time to time, but slander? Never!!

What does good ol’ Webster have to say?

“Slander (etymologically the same as scandal) and calumniate, from the Latin, have in common the sense of circulating reports to a man’s injury from unworthy or malicious motives.”

In other words, slander is saying things about others that are less than pretty, less than honoring, less than pure.

What do you think now? Are there any “been there, done that” folks among us? I have to admit to a few *ahem* such words — just a few…

We talked last month about the fact that reverence was the first quality Paul listed as a pre-requisite for older women who hope to teach. (And in case you are just joining us, we should all hope to teach.) This month we will discuss the second pre-requisite — not slanderers. Let’s discover why this makes the top of Paul’s list of requirements.

From NKJ (Psalm 50.19-23)
You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.
“Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver:
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

Psalm 50.19-23 The Message
Your mouth drools filth; lying is a serious art form with you.
You stab your own brother in the back, rip off your little sister.
I kept a quiet patience while you did these things; you thought I went along with your game. I’m calling you on the carpet, now, laying your wickedness out in plain sight.
“Time’s up for playing fast and loose with me. I’m ready to pass sentence, and there’s no help in sight!
It’s the praising life that honors me. As soon as you set your foot on the Way, I’ll show you my salvation.”

We must learn to carefully discern our speech. The relaying of the day’s happenings can slip easily into complaint against someone; soon our story is colored with negative words. Disdain is often found cloaked in humor — “Just a little joke,” we think. Humor does not need to be accomplished at the expense of another. In fact, it shouldn’t.

We become like the people cited in the Psalm above, thinking that He is like us; we don’t think twice about acting like that in His presence, assuming He is either commiserating with us or laughing right along. In fact, He isn’t.

I challenge you today: take stock of your words and insinuations. Listen more attentively to the words of your own mouth and from those around you. Begin to hear as He hears; let your heart be touched as you remember that the ones about whom you speak are His own creation. He has suffered and died for them.

“Oh, don’t go and get all heavy and serious about this. It’s just a little joke, just a simple venting of emotion. No harm. Not a big deal. Don’t get all ‘holier than thou’ on us here.”

Next week we will study the effects of gossip and slander. To better prepare, take some time if you could this week to study about Miriam in Numbers 12:1-15. We will consider the outcome of her slander.