James 3:16 (NIV)
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

As long as a person walks straight and does not do certain things in the world then we accept them because they look good. Yet they could be full of bitterness, envy and jealousy. I would rather have someone steeling from me because I can deal with that. That is isolated to the individual. It is not going to cause bitter waters to flow through the church where people become a critical mass. It causes prejudices to flourish and hatred to grow where love should be growing.

We cannot have gossip and bitterness in the church and flourish. It does not matter how nice our building is. It does not matter how much we put into our programs. There is no place in ministry for someone who is carrying bitterness in their heart. It will just leave a devastation of death around it.

When we are bitter we cannot even make sound judgements. We cannot judge righteously. When I pray and I command those offences to be silent and stop talking to the mind of the individual so that health can come, the waters can flow and when the waters start flowing they become pure. Compassion then starts flowing.
More Devotinals...