In 1964, the Terry Stafford recording of “Suspicion” rose as high as #3 on the US Top Ten Hit list even though it had been previously recorded and released by Elvis Presley just two years earlier on his album “Pot Luck.” As I remember, the core of the song says:
Suspicion torments my heart
Suspicion keeps us apart
Suspicion why torture me
These words capture the feelings where there is no trust in a relationship. Uncertainty and doubt rips the heart to shreds. Suspicion can destroy a friendship. It can destroy a marriage. And it can destroy a church. Suspicion is a tool of the devil that torments, tortures and separates.
An example of what suspicions can do is King Saul. During the first part of his reign over Israel King Saul was a humble servant of God. But after his rebellion to God by not destroying all of the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15), God rejected him as king and had Samuel anoint David as the next king. Saul’s jealousy of David grew rapidly and his spirit became evil. His suspicions of David drove him mad, attempting to kill David on several occasions. David did all he could to ease Saul’s suspicions, but never could. Eventually Saul disgracefully died (1 Sam. 31, 2 Sam. 1).
Satan loves to fill our minds with suspicions. He loves it when we take every opportunity to think negative thoughts about each other. He loves it when we look on the actions of others with distrust and when we always expect the worst from each other. He loves to see friendships and marriages and churches tormented and torn apart. He loves to place little doubts in our minds about each other. We must love it too, for even the strongest of Christians will sometimes allow Satan to fill them with suspicions. Then we like to get into little groups or on social media and share our suspicions with those who are willing to listen. I’ll bet Satan can’t keep from lol!
But for those who truly love God and truly want to be like Jesus, there is absolutely no place for suspicions in their hearts, conversations or actions. If you don’t have the facts, don’t suspect the worst about each other. God is about building friendships, marriages and churches, not destroying them. God is about filling our minds with constructive thoughts about each other. His is about building the Kingdom with positive words and actions. We are instructed by the Holy Spirit through Paul to fill our minds with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). We are to love each other. That means, according to 1 Cor. 13, to be patient and kind with each other, to not be rude or easily angered or to keep a record of wrongs, but to always protect, trust, and hope in and for the one you love. “Honor one another above yourselves” (Rom. 12:10), whether they deserve it or not.
Suspicions torment and separate. Love and honor binds and blesses.
- Joe Chesser preaches for the Fruitland Church of Christ, Fruitland, MO. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.cofcfruitland.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment