The Emotions That Divide

When I first started speaking about the deception of new age spirituality I was often accused of being divisive. It bothered me, because the very people who had been speaking truth suddenly wanted me to be silent, to keep my spiritual beliefs to myself. 

And at the heart of it is a big misunderstanding of what causes division. 

It’s not our opinions that cause division, but the emotional baggage that comes with opinions; the ways we express them, the ways we disagree. The ways we let our emotions get into our speech in negative ways. 

As the book of James says about the tongue ‘it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.’

When is the time to speak, and the time to stay silent? 

The book of James really convicted me when I first read it, on how actually sometimes the best course of action is to stay silent. 

This past week the theme of speaking truth and when and where it is appropriate to speak truth has been repeatedly drawing my attention. 

I have had to think carefully and reassess the ways that I speak truth, and in what format. 

In the internet age it is so challenging, when we have the ease of quickly typing up a comment and clicking send before we even have time to think through properly. 

How Satan must love that ability to create war, and division faster than the speed of light. 

And yet what Satan intended for evil God uses for good. 

While Satan adores division, I think he also loves it when people are united under a lie. 

After all, isn’t what the antichrist kingdom will be, people united under a massive lie, while there are a few outliers trying to proclaim the truth? 

There have been times in my walk with the Lord, that I’ve wanted to warn other Christians about the dangers of something; be it contemplative prayer (an Eastern meditation practise that as infiltrated some churches), or yoga (which many Christians have no idea is a spiritual practise.)

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the openness I’ve had from editors to write about these topics, and to consider different opinions. I love the fact that in the Christian world there are debates, and conversations, where differences of opinion can be heard. For example I recently listened to this conversation with ex. psychic Jenn Nizza and Pete Laws, about whether Christians should watch horror films. 

I think it’s wonderful that these debates can take place, that we shouldn’t feel afraid of the opposing side, when each side is getting an equal airing. 

Sometimes however there are people who disagree who throw the ‘divisive’ label around, and it feels as if it’s because they want to silence the conversation. 

Debates are weaponised so that people’s emotions get sparked. 

Yet, if we love truth, we must be careful not to shut down conversation. 

Grace and truth. Words aren’t always perfectly delivered, at the right place or the right time. 

But it’s up to us, to take responsibility for our emotions, rather than add them as fuel to the fiery conversation, in an attempt to burn it to the ground.