Reflection Guide for CHAPTER 5
Chapter 5 is entitled "RESTRAINED IN SPEECH". Here, Watchman Nee highlights the importance of restraint in our speech, where Christian leaders like us need to have a disciplined and controlled tongue. I hope you still remember our community teaching on Speech and Wrongdoing. Much of what he talks about in this chapter is already covered in our basic teachings and way of life.
Read the chapter carefully, to be reminded of a few. But there are several points that Watchman Nee highlights, and which are not covered in our teachings. I have marked up the text and put some headings so that it will be easier for you to read.
Here are two simple reflection guides to tie all things together:
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
- Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
God bless us all.
Uploaded files:- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
As Senior leaders, members, more often than not, are aware of the responsibilities SLs are supposed to have and show. One of them is their control or discipline when in comes to the use of speech. This will have dire consequences for the SL if anything wrong happens. Not just embarrassment for the SL but also of more of a lack of trust and integrity. As SLs, we must always be constantly aware of our speech, we must think before we open our mouth for once it is spoken, this can’t be taken back anymore no matter what kind of apology is done.
- Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words
I am not totally sure but I think this would be “Retaining People’s Confidence”. As Watchman Nee said, “We must learn to safeguard every confidence placed in us by others. People who cannot bridle their tongues cannot be entrusted with the Lord’s work.” To betray the trust and confidence that is given to us is like saying I don’t really care. This is not personal knowledge that we can share to anyone. In no circumstance must this be broken not unless the “interest of the work make it necessary”. Please correct me if I’m wrong, this may need to be explained to me in more detail.
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
One reason is that community leaders are in a role that may potentially affect more people in community. Since leaders regularly talk to those they serve, whether in 1-to-1s or to the whole group or body, the effect of their words can spread to more people than a regular member can. Also, since members recognize their leaders as an authority or as a model of discipleship, undisciplined speech of leaders may influence or distort the view of members regarding how they may conduct their own speech as well.
Another reason may be that even if no one gets to hear a leader with improper speech (e.g. cursing when no one is around), the words will still become a reality as they hold power. The words become an opening for the enemy to wreak destruction to God's people, not just intellectually or emotionally, but in the spiritual realm as well. Then, the leader may be subject to that spiritual attack, as he makes decisions for the community.
2. Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
I think Watchman Nee states that deceptive speech or telling lies is the most grievous. He explains that this indicates that we are doing the work of the devil, who is the father of lies. Thus, this fundamentally reveals the lordship of Christ in our lives if we have a tendency to cooperate with the evil one. We may only be listening to what our "minds" tell us is the more convenient or less painful option of telling lies, but the Lord is inviting us to take on the narrow road of telling the truth even if we have to sacrifice something of ourselves. Thus, is Jesus, who is the Truth, actually our Lord? Another point is that in our work of proclaiming God's truth, this may be colored by deceptive speech or telling lies that it would be harder for the recipient to receive it and bear fruit. Our deception becomes a stumbling block for the Spirit's power to work. Though I believe, in the end, the Truth will prevail, but the Lord may use someone else to do it and we miss out on the chance to become the Lord's vessel as well as we bring about our own destruction. The good news is that Jesus is the Savior who can deliver us from these forces, habits, and weaknesses stronger than ourselves. He, the Truth, can set us free if we let Him.
It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
It is very important for us to be mindful of our thoughts and speech. When we talk, we expose our inner character. Just like the “eyes being the soul’s window”, speech allows us to express, share and show a lot of who we are.
As a pastoral and senior leader, it is a must to have a disciplined and restrained tongue because of our sphere of influence. We take care of various individuals, especially men, who also have their own respective spheres. Directly and indirectly, we are responsible for their spouses, children, mission work, friends and work environment. Our speech has a great effect on others and the “others” around them.
Personally, this article gave me a different mindset. When I talk to someone, I am not just talking to an individual but also to a multitude of people that he will encounter.
Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
I think it is the one wherein we engage in mindless, loose and light talk. It is a total disregard of who we are as a disciple of God. Such irresponsibility weakens our relationship with the Lord and allows the evil one to take over our speech. Unknowingly, instead of being used by the Lord, we are talking against Him in all levels of our conversations.
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
>>> It is more important for pastoral leaders to have a disciplined and restrained tongue because in many ways we represent who we belong to. That means being part of Ligaya we are expected to bring with us the culture that we are living out. As mentioned in the article, what has been said will no longer be erased but is passed on to several people. As leaders, we are also expected to have it because they are under our care. We cannot just lead them by our own knowledge but with God's guidance and wisdom. We can do through our daily time with the Lord. We may not immediately be good stewards of God's words but there's always a room to improve and to be more conscious in the way we speak.
2. Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
>>> Telling lies is among the most grievous form of careless talk. This is because we know that what we're speaking of is not true. This will never be acceptable to God. It may not be easy but as God's stewards to our brothers and sisters, we are expected to be more aware of the our responsibility.
The scripture has a lot of passages dealing with tongue as a two-edged sword. A gentle tongue heals but uncontrolled tongue or words can pierce the soul. As pastoral leader, who is like a shepherd that guides his flock, should be able to lead by example. One of which is in the area of speech. In the previous chapter, we talked about listening, and it will be difficult, if not a disaster, for our member to discover or HEAR that a pastoral leader is one that gossips, cannot contain confidentiality, spreading lies, uttering curses, raising voices, going into argument, and all the other examples as illustrated by Watchman Nee. It is important for a pastoral leader to have the trust and confidence of their members in this basic form of speech.
I think of all forms of careless talk, the most grievous is the "evil habit of telling lies" and as Watchman Nee said: "the intent to deceive is a heart matter.... The devil is the author of lies, and since all lies originate with him, how can anyone who is
professedly devoted to the Lord lend his lips to utter words that are instigated by His enemy?"
This form of careless talk about telling lies will have dire consequences for a Pastoral Leader. Trust and Confidence will dissipate. I just couldn't imagine how it's gonna be in such a scenario.
1. It is more important for us as PL and SL because, first, it is our humble response to the command of Jesus to be holy as the Father is holy.
And second, as we care for our members, we want to present them fully mature in Christ by God’s grace and by being a good example.
2. According to Watchman Nee, the gravest form of careless talk is Deceptive speech which is the close kinsman of telling lies.
Deception happens not only when we intentionally do it to others but also when we believe half truths and therefore falsely present truths away from its full understanding. Jesus, whom we proclaim, is the way, the truth and the life. Misleading others with our speech can lead to spiritual death.
Reading through the file, the first word that came to mind was "GUILTY." I am guilty of these. Praise God and we have the community and our leaders who continue to guide us and help us recover from our frailties as senior leaders of LNP.
This is where the struggle of a normal layman vs what we ought to be as senior leaders of LNP vis-a-vis as a disciple of Christ. It hits me the most on my role in the office where tough decisions are made and sometimes leading to confrontations with others to arrive with an executive decision. Most of the time, they are not famous, but it has to be done being the leader of the company. Which one to me therefore is more important (now i ask myself)? Don't get me wrong. I don't curse, i don't shame others but words that come out of me are tough ones at times specially when confronted with difficult problems. Maybe this is one of the many reasons why people don't see me as an effective evangelizer of others because many see me as a tough and strict CFO. May God forgive me for failing Him in the role that He entrusted to me. I sometimes ask myself, "why don't i speak like Bobby Q or Raoul R" who are always cool and are not intimidating and thus making them very effective in their ministry. Obviously, i have a long way to go to become an effective evangelizer.
What is the most grievous one? SPEAKING A LIE as it comes from the devil. (Lord Jesus, have mercy on me on this area of my speech). Guilty on this area specially if you want to make the person feel good about himself/herself or cracking a joke just to start off a conversation. From now on, i will be more careful about this and if it is not true, i would pause for a while, utter a prayer, before i say anything.
Quote from Eddie on October 31, 2024, 11:44 pmChapter 5 is entitled "RESTRAINED IN SPEECH". Here, Watchman Nee highlights the importance of restraint in our speech, where Christian leaders like us need to have a disciplined and controlled tongue. I hope you still remember our community teaching on Speech and Wrongdoing. Much of what he talks about in this chapter is already covered in our basic teachings and way of life.
Read the chapter carefully, to be reminded of a few. But there are several points that Watchman Nee highlights, and which are not covered in our teachings. I have marked up the text and put some headings so that it will be easier for you to read.
Here are two simple reflection guides to tie all things together:
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
- Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
God bless us all.
1. As a Pastoral Worker guiding a community member in living our way of life, we need to be more careful with the things that we say and the opinions that we give.
In serving others we are instruments of God's message to those whom we serve. There is great responsibility and burden in doing God's work. A disciplined tongue means less of our personal biases. This gives the Holy Spirit more room to whisper His leadings to you when you put your self aside and put God first. And I believe that this our goal as Pastoral Workers, to call upon the Holy Spirit to help us in guiding our brothers to live a life pleasing to God.
2. Watchman Nee calls Deceptive Speech the gravest trouble we can get into.
This is very self-serving. Either we want to change the course of a situation to create a convenient solution for us, or we just want to avoid doing more work.
This is a very disturbing topic for me. As someone who was trained in sales talk and marketing, adding fluff to soften messages comes natural to me. And in a way, this skill can possibly translate to a bad habit when serving God.
And therefore, I need to ask myself - Am I giving advice to my brother as God's servant? Or am I giving advice because I feel that I am wise and I know the way? Is this "wisdom" from the Lord or from my wit? Are my words, your words Lord?
I am made more aware of my pride and arrogance when I studied this chapter. Conversing selfishly can come with personal baggage not from the Lord. And as someone who takes pride in the things that I do, I am susceptible to being careless.
Chapter 5 is entitled "RESTRAINED IN SPEECH". Here, Watchman Nee highlights the importance of restraint in our speech, where Christian leaders like us need to have a disciplined and controlled tongue. I hope you still remember our community teaching on Speech and Wrongdoing. Much of what he talks about in this chapter is already covered in our basic teachings and way of life.
Read the chapter carefully, to be reminded of a few. But there are several points that Watchman Nee highlights, and which are not covered in our teachings. I have marked up the text and put some headings so that it will be easier for you to read.
Here are two simple reflection guides to tie all things together:
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
As a PL or SL, we have a bigger responsibility to our members since:
- We are looked upon as Role Models – whatever we say or do, our members can see or will see that they can follow or do the same since the PL/SL does or say it.
- We give advice to the group of men we lead – we proclaim God’s word through our mouth, we must maintain order and caution. As what was explained, we have a SOLEMN OBLIGATION to guard these lips for His service alone.
- Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
DECEPTIVE SPEECH – It is better to say YES if it’s really a YES, and say NO if it’s a NO. We have a tendency to sugar coat and in so doing, our words result and mean to actually say the opposite of what we really want to convey. I too have this weakness since I am the PLEASER type of person. I don’t want to disappoint a person/friend through my words. Reading this materials has opened my mind and heart that we should be more conscious of what we really mean and say about a a particular situation. Remember, YES if YES and NO if NO.
1. It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
We have accepted the invitation of the Lord to be His instruments in taking care of the people He has sent our way. With this acceptance, we would like to offer Him as effective an instrument we can be. I donot discount His power to work within our imperfections but it would be some sort of duplicity to offer ourselves to do something for Him and at the same time impair ourselves from fullfilling the very task He has asked us to do. In this case, if we donot discipline our speech, we make ourselves ineffective in doing our service.
The chapter enumerates how an unbridled tongue can wreak damage and havoc among our people. This is especially true if we have people entrusted under our care. As individuals, we are called upon to discipline ourselves. This calling is more critical if you have people you are leading. You are now not only responsible for yourself but also the actions of people under your care as a result of your actions which they see. We want to lead them to the Lord and not away from Him. We want them to be blessings to others and not a curse.
This has made me think why would I take on this responsibility knowing that I am still very much a work in progress. The Lord was very quick and very clear in His reply. Have courage. You might feel short of the task but I will take care of what you lack. I ask from you is a heart that is willing to do what I ask.
2. Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
Lies and deceit, I would say would be the gravest form of careless talk. I would not even call it careless because to lie and deceive have a built in premeditated nature. God’s nature is truth. We are all called to the truth. To lie and to deceive is to mislead from the truth. To mislead is to go away from the truth. Deceit is bringing people away from God.
It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
I would say it's because of the responsibility, maturity, delegated authority and trust given to pastoral or senior Leaders, not just by their leaders but by community members as well... PLs and SLs are appointed & chosen to aid their coordinators in building community. As such, there is a need to mindful in how we carry ourselves in speech and action.
Buti na lang Grace abounds... that despite our humanity, we are called to be more and aim for heaven.
Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
Whatever has been offered to God is set apart for Him and cannot afterwards be put to common use...
For me, I feel the most grievous form is the one that denies us who we are, children of God... forgiven, redeemed and chosen. Indulging in careless and loose speech denies us of how we are loved first and how out of that immense love, God gave us His only beggoten son... kaya the words that we speak (and our own actions) should reflect as such that greatfulness... as described in the article, how can people believe in our words of redemption and transformation if we ourselves, in our carelessness, do not reflect what we say and encourage others to do.
- Simply because we have a saying "follow the leader". We are all fathers and experienced raising our children, they can easily learn and catch what we are saying to them. So with our regular members, it is the same thing, they learn from us leaders.
- For me, anything that you utter that does not conform to God's ways is grievous. Avoid "careless talk", if there is such a thing as "think before you click" we can do "pray before we speak". Pag nakapagbitiw ka na ng masakit an salita ang hirap ng makabawi.
Brothers, this is the area that God is teaching me to improve. Please pray for me that I will be able to speak words to brothers and sisters that God is glorified in every speech that I utter 🙏
Quote from James Labayo on December 3, 2024, 10:30 amIt is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
It is very important for us to be mindful of our thoughts and speech. When we talk, we expose our inner character. Just like the “eyes being the soul’s window”, speech allows us to express, share and show a lot of who we are.
As a pastoral and senior leader, it is a must to have a disciplined and restrained tongue because of our sphere of influence. We take care of various individuals, especially men, who also have their own respective spheres. Directly and indirectly, we are responsible for their spouses, children, mission work, friends and work environment. Our speech has a great effect on others and the “others” around them.
Personally, this article gave me a different mindset. When I talk to someone, I am not just talking to an individual but also to a multitude of people that he will encounter.
Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
I think it is the one wherein we engage in mindless, loose and light talk. It is a total disregard of who we are as a disciple of God. Such irresponsibility weakens our relationship with the Lord and allows the evil one to take over our speech. Unknowingly, instead of being used by the Lord, we are talking against Him in all levels of our conversations.
Hi James, I agree with you that as Senior Leaders we need to set an example to our members in this area of speech. It reflects, our character as a leader and also how the community forms its own leaders 🙏
Quote from Gary Cabalde on December 9, 2024, 4:01 pmReading through the file, the first word that came to mind was "GUILTY." I am guilty of these. Praise God and we have the community and our leaders who continue to guide us and help us recover from our frailties as senior leaders of LNP.
This is where the struggle of a normal layman vs what we ought to be as senior leaders of LNP vis-a-vis as a disciple of Christ. It hits me the most on my role in the office where tough decisions are made and sometimes leading to confrontations with others to arrive with an executive decision. Most of the time, they are not famous, but it has to be done being the leader of the company. Which one to me therefore is more important (now i ask myself)? Don't get me wrong. I don't curse, i don't shame others but words that come out of me are tough ones at times specially when confronted with difficult problems. Maybe this is one of the many reasons why people don't see me as an effective evangelizer of others because many see me as a tough and strict CFO. May God forgive me for failing Him in the role that He entrusted to me. I sometimes ask myself, "why don't i speak like Bobby Q or Raoul R" who are always cool and are not intimidating and thus making them very effective in their ministry. Obviously, i have a long way to go to become an effective evangelizer.
What is the most grievous one? SPEAKING A LIE as it comes from the devil. (Lord Jesus, have mercy on me on this area of my speech). Guilty on this area specially if you want to make the person feel good about himself/herself or cracking a joke just to start off a conversation. From now on, i will be more careful about this and if it is not true, i would pause for a while, utter a prayer, before i say anything.
Hi Bro Gary, I agree with you. It is difficult to exercise your Christian leadership in a place that is too intense of the demand of work. Praying for you that God will protect your words/speech that is fit for our Lord and King 🙏
- As pastoral leader, every word spoken has the potential to shape the spiritual lives of our brothers and sisters. As PLs we set the example for our members and they watch our actions and words closely. If our actions and speech are careless or hurtful, it may give them the impression that such behavior is acceptable. We need to ensure that we use uplifting speech at all times in order to inspire them to do the same. As leaders, our words carry more weight. What we say can build up or tear down. An unkind or careless comment from a leader can discourage members, cause misunderstandings, or even create divisions within the community. But our words also have the power to unite, strengthen the weak, bring hope to the discouraged, and foster growth in our member's faith.
- For me, the most grievous form of careless talk is gossip about fellow believers. Watchman Nee emphasizes that this kind of speech causes deep harm to the body of Christ, which is the church.
When we talk negatively or spread unnecessary information about others, especially about our brothers and sisters in community, it damages relationships, creates divisions, and undermines trust within the community. Nee urges us Christians to guard our tongues, speak words that build up others, and reflect Christ’s love in our conversations.
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community? Having a disciplined and restrained tongue is indeed more important for Pastoral and Senior leaders because of : -The number of people under him/her Leaders normally have 6 people in a cell group and Senior Leaders when they are track head have about three leaders under him. The impact of any destructive speech is automatically multiplied at the onset -PLs and SLs are role models. Actually , this is expected to all leaders. That we walk the talk. That we become models of positive speech. Ephesians 4: "Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." If a member who is weak in gossiping finds his PL gossiping , then that would encourage this member to continue his gossiping . He will acquire an invisible license and statement na " Ok lang naman pala, kasi yung leader ko na mabait naman ay gossiper din"
- Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words. According to Nee, "We have spoken of various defects of character that mar the life and ministry of many Christians,
but if our trouble is an unbridled tongue it is more serious than all the others we have mentioned,
for the careless words the tongue utters release a deadly stream that flows on and on spreading
death wherever it goes. " I fully agree that an unbridled tongue is more serious. Imagine if through the years of being a Christian, you have uttered three or five destructive words that brought about negative effects on peoples lives, amidst you being careful of your speech, how much more if you have an uncontrolled and unbridled tongue.? Maraming Forest fires if we based it on James 3:5. "..consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
It is important for all of us to have a disciplined and retrained tongue. Moreso for leaders of the community, as I believe that our positions are anointed by God and as such, our tongues are consecrated to speak the words of God. Yet though our tongues are consecrated to utter the words of God, we are still humanly in control of its use. Thus we can misuse this tool in many ways. As an anointed leader, the listener presumes that the words you utter are inspired hence it can easily and powerfully deceive another. Further, the words of a leader goes way beyond the person it is spoken to but is multiplied many times over. The deception and miscommunication, intentional or otherwise, has a greater impact and will be more destructive.
Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
Deceptive talk is the gravest. I believe that with deceptive talk in some way there is intent to lie. Lie to protect oneself, to preserve “harmony”, or to hide one’s ignorance are still all lies which is the work of the evil one. It allows the devil to use your consecrated tongue to do evil wishes. Deceptive speech destroys you as a speaker and the hapless listener.
Words and phrases that spoke to me are:
avoid diplomacy in Christian work
resort to silence and never to diplomacy
be simple concerning evil
Good day Brothers.
Quote from Jordan Echague on December 9, 2024, 9:24 pmQuote from Eddie on October 31, 2024, 11:44 pmChapter 5 is entitled "RESTRAINED IN SPEECH". Here, Watchman Nee highlights the importance of restraint in our speech, where Christian leaders like us need to have a disciplined and controlled tongue. I hope you still remember our community teaching on Speech and Wrongdoing. Much of what he talks about in this chapter is already covered in our basic teachings and way of life.
Read the chapter carefully, to be reminded of a few. But there are several points that Watchman Nee highlights, and which are not covered in our teachings. I have marked up the text and put some headings so that it will be easier for you to read.
Here are two simple reflection guides to tie all things together:
- It is important indeed to have a disciplined and restrained tongue. But why would that be particularly more important for a pastoral or senior leader than for a regular member of the Community?
- Of all the forms of careless talk, what – according to Watchman Nee – is the most grievous? Explain why, in your own words.
God bless us all.
1. As a Pastoral Worker guiding a community member in living our way of life, we need to be more careful with the things that we say and the opinions that we give.
In serving others we are instruments of God's message to those whom we serve. There is great responsibility and burden in doing God's work. A disciplined tongue means less of our personal biases. This gives the Holy Spirit more room to whisper His leadings to you when you put your self aside and put God first. And I believe that this our goal as Pastoral Workers, to call upon the Holy Spirit to help us in guiding our brothers to live a life pleasing to God.
2. Watchman Nee calls Deceptive Speech the gravest trouble we can get into.
This is very self-serving. Either we want to change the course of a situation to create a convenient solution for us, or we just want to avoid doing more work.
This is a very disturbing topic for me. As someone who was trained in sales talk and marketing, adding fluff to soften messages comes natural to me. And in a way, this skill can possibly translate to a bad habit when serving God.
And therefore, I need to ask myself - Am I giving advice to my brother as God's servant? Or am I giving advice because I feel that I am wise and I know the way? Is this "wisdom" from the Lord or from my wit? Are my words, your words Lord?
I am made more aware of my pride and arrogance when I studied this chapter. Conversing selfishly can come with personal baggage not from the Lord. And as someone who takes pride in the things that I do, I am susceptible to being careless.
Thank you for your insight Jordan. I particularly like your intimate sharing re the conflict of being a marketing person and a Christian worker. About putting fluff to your talk, a little sales talk maybe. It is similar to my concern being nonconfrontational hence my not being able to say Yes when it is a yes or a No when it should be a No.
Quote from Gary Bogarin on December 30, 2024, 1:37 pm
- As pastoral leader, every word spoken has the potential to shape the spiritual lives of our brothers and sisters. As PLs we set the example for our members and they watch our actions and words closely. If our actions and speech are careless or hurtful, it may give them the impression that such behavior is acceptable. We need to ensure that we use uplifting speech at all times in order to inspire them to do the same. As leaders, our words carry more weight. What we say can build up or tear down. An unkind or careless comment from a leader can discourage members, cause misunderstandings, or even create divisions within the community. But our words also have the power to unite, strengthen the weak, bring hope to the discouraged, and foster growth in our member's faith.
- For me, the most grievous form of careless talk is gossip about fellow believers. Watchman Nee emphasizes that this kind of speech causes deep harm to the body of Christ, which is the church.
When we talk negatively or spread unnecessary information about others, especially about our brothers and sisters in community, it damages relationships, creates divisions, and undermines trust within the community. Nee urges us Christians to guard our tongues, speak words that build up others, and reflect Christ’s love in our conversations.
Thanks Gary for your insight. I agree that our words should always be upbuilding and encouraging. I do the same myself but reading this chapter, I realize that I tend to compromise and become diplomatic to maintain peace and harmony. Though we need to be encouraging, I also need to be more courageous to say Yes and No when the need arises.