Slander

The Lord has been teaching me such a lot over the past while through the painful experience of being slandered.* What he has shown me more than anything else is the depths and ugliness of my sin. I more and more see how kind our Father is in pointing out our sin (unrealised/ unconfessed sin is a barrier in our relationship with him, Is 59.2; Ps 66.8). So I'm very grateful for these times of light shining into the darkness of my heart and also very thankful for the promise of forgiveness of confessed sin (1 John 1.9).

When the slander started happening my overwhelming feeling was one of a need to restore my reputation- in the eyes of the slanderer and to all those who had listened to this person. I never realised until then how very important my name and honour were to me. It was during a time of singing a song about God's name being worthy of all praise that the Lord strongly convicted me that I was far more concerned for my name than for his. When had I last become angry and cried over God's name being dishonoured and not counted worthy? I realised how very wrong and upside down my priorities and emotions had become.

Another lesson came a few days ago after reading these words:

To this you were called,

because Christ suffered for you,

leaving you an example,

that you should follow in his steps....

...When they hurled their insults at him,

he did not retaliate;

when he suffered he made no threats.

Instead, he entrusted himself

to him who judges justly.

1 Peter 2. 21, 23

I'm convicted that I have not been very Christlike through this whole episode. I have wanted to retaliate; I haven't been able to entrust myself to the Just Judge. Why am I so surprised and indignant to suffer slander? My Lord suffered it and he calls me to follow in his footsteps. After all, "the servant is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master" (Matt 10.24).

These verses have been such an encouragement:

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ,

so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ,

you are blessed,

for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

1 Peter 4.13,14

This insulting is not just something to be put up with but I can actually rejoice, be overjoyed and blessed in it! I love the way the Lord Jesus loves to turn things on their head!

There is a really good article on slander on the TGC website called 3 Ways to Respond to Slander. The three ways are: 

1. Commit your reputation to the Lord

2. Gently confront the slanderer

3. Preach the gospel to yourself.

I particularly like these quotes from that article:

 “If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him; 

for you are worse than he thinks you to be.”

C.H. Spurgeon

" Having our hearts secure in his love helps us let go of our pain and seek the restoration of Christ’s reputation more than our own."

Gavin Ortlund (author of the article)

"Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified. Let my name die everywhere, let even my friends forget me, if by that means the cause of the blessed Jesus may be promoted. . . . I am content to wait till the judgement day for the clearing up of my reputation; and after I am dead I desire no other epitaph than this, 'Here lies G. W. What sort of man he was the great day will discover.'”

George Whitfield

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* It amounts to being called a liar over something and not being believed that I didn't lie