No Trash Talking in Heaven
There will be no trash talking in Heaven. No condemnation of others’ ideas, no constructive criticism, no arguing about theology or politics. There will only be love, praise, worship, fellowship, and devotion. We had better start now practicing speaking truth, love and adoration for the King ALL DAY LONG. We had better start beefing up our vocabulary for conveying tenderness, holy ardor, and worship to better fit us for our future home. We only speak these things part-time now; in Heaven, this will be our conversation 24/7. We need to build these things up in our hearts and minds by spending more of our days on earth in Godly conversation.
If you inventory every word you speak for a few days, you will probably find that you fall far short of the goal for constancy in Godly conversation. I know I do. Part of the reason I err is that I am not devoted to the interests of others as the Lord commands me to be in Philippians 2:2-7. Christ is the model in these verses about how we should live here on earth and what our relationships should be like with others.
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
I want to be like Barnabas, also known as the “son of encouragement.” Barnabas was a constant advocate for Paul. In Acts 9, we see that Paul was not received warmly by the Apostles. after all, he had recently been described as “breathing out threats and murder,” so it is understandable that the apostles were guarded. But it was Barnabas who spoke up for him and was a minority voice against the majority. That is what a friend or fellow member of the Body is supposed to do:
26 When he (Paul) came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
And Paul was not the only one blessed by the loving support of Barnabas. Acts 9:31 says:
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Barnabas came alongside Paul in leaving their community and taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. They had their differences, but Barnabas remained a friend of Paul’s despite that.
Barnabas was a peacemaker in his church. He had influence because he had invested his time, devotion, and resources in the Body instead of for his own gain:
Acts 4:32 and 36 describe the early church and Barnabas’ role in it in
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had...
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet
Because of the example of his life, Barnabas had built up his influence to the point that the people and the apostles listened to him. What about you? Does the testimony of your life give you the credibility Barnabas had? How are you using your influence? Do you advocate for new members or those who want to serve in your church? After prayerful consideration, do you get behind people that perhaps others are wary of?
But I don’t need to go back two-thousand years to find an example of how to live as part of the Body of Christ. I have many examples to choose from, but have chosen Joyce for her humility.
Like Barnabas, she serves the Body constantly. She does not have the high visibility gifts of music, teaching, or preaching. Her gifts are more beautiful than that. Most days, you will find her at the church, stuffing folders for an upcoming women’s event, assisting an elderly saint in a wheelchair (though she is 85 herself!), or doing any task, big or small, it takes to serve her fellow members. I have long thought that she is our church’s secret weapon as she greets people at the front door on Sundays. There is a popular song right now that describes how wonderful to come back to church after you have wandered. It says. “someone who loves you, waiting at the door.” That’s Joyce. She warmly greets them, but it doesn’t stop there. She asks every question a person would ask who really wants to know your business. It is not casual but intentional. This precious widow often winds up asking these total strangers to her house for lunch. Who does that these days? She is in good practice for Heaven. She knows how to live in a Heavenly way in a community.
In that atmosphere of pure love, she will fit right in. She loves me and I am hard to love.
I am easy to love when cleaned up and on my best behavior, but Joyce sees me at my worst. I drop in on her often and usually at inopportune times. She always conveys to me that she is glad to see me. I talk too much, and she listens and still cares for me. I tell her a lot, and she does not forget what is going on with me when she sees me next time. She loves beyond words. She is equipped to live in the community of Heaven where love will abound everywhere.
I am determined to stop comparing myself to others, those who are far better Christians than I am and those whom I am tempted to criticize, whether nearby or in the media. I don’t believe there will be any of that comparison or evaluation of others going on in Heaven. And if God doesn’t want that in Heaven, do we think He wants it here? Lord, help me live in a way that reflects a Heavenward view of how to live.