Christian Living

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Adults need to accept a challenge to “clean behind their ears!” Yes, I realize you are old enough to handle routine bathing. This takes us one step further. Parents and grandparents often need to remind children to wash well. Most children think of bathing as fun time in the tub. They do very little scrubbing! Health officials suggest frequent washing of hands with soap and hot water to fight infections, to use hand sanitizers when soap and hot water is not available. We wisely heed those warnings. What else can we do? Let’s focus on the ears, inside and behind, where dirt may be hiding. What kind of dirt? The dirt of gossip and slander loves to hide! Gossip cleverly evades our sight and hopes to stay for a long time.
Gossip and slander is big business, with tabloids, television programs, magazines and newspapers raking in billions of dollars. We are led astray to believe it is just a form of entertainment and a downside of notoriety. Some go to the extremes of desiring gossip to keep their name and face before the public!
Gossip can be very destructive, murdering a persons’ character and their reputation. Once it is tarnished, it is very difficult to restore. Do you laugh it off, saying gossip, slander, and little white lies are nearly harmless?
The Bible calls gossip and slander sin. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 the pair is listed among a group of sins of the last days. In another grouping we read of the twin sins of the lips: “They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, disputes, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God haters, proud boastful inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving and unmerciful! Although they know full well God’s just sentence- that those who practice such things deserve to die-they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them (Romans 1:29-32 Holman Christian Standard).”
Yes, I Think we allow a great deal of dirt in and around our ears. The good news it is easily removed by asking God to forgive and receiving forgiveness, leaving the ear area clean. I want to pass inspection when He looks behind my ears!

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