We should want the best for people.
Who?
Everyone.
That’s like what God wants. He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved).
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
If we have such an attitude, we won’t SNIPE, GRIPE, or HYPE. Many conflicts will stop before they start.
Snipe
Sniping with our thoughts and words is when we are on the lookout for anyone who might upset us, tearing them down in our hearts and/or out loud. It makes us unhelpful, destructive, and hypocritical.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt 7:1-5).
Gripe
Griping is complaining. Murmuring. It may seem like a way to vent, cope, or express ourselves, but it is a sin.
“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me” (Num 14:26-27).
“Do all things without complaining and disputing…” (Phil 2:14).
Hype
Gossip – Information, true or false, that is not yours to share. No matter how gratifying it may seem, passing out information that is not your business, especially in a derogatory way, puts you in the place of the Devil, a word that means slanderer.
“The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,
And they go down into the inmost body.
Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross” (Prov 26:22-23).
“Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers [devils], temperate, faithful in all things” (1 Tim 3:11).
If we watch our mouths like we should, we won’t have as much time to be watching everyone else. That will stop a lot of problems before they start.
Van
