Saturday, August 25, 2012

"The Silent Treatment" and Christians


                       

I have had the idea rattling around in this head of mine about writing an article on "the silent treatment." I've started writing the article several times, but I feel like I'm just dancing around the subject instead of getting straight to the point; so I'm just going to go straight to the point--I'm tired of seeing "mature" Christian women (and sometimes men) give other mature Christians the silent treatment, the cold shoulder, or whatever you would like to call it. I do not understand why not speaking to our sisters in Christ when we are angry, hurt, upset, jealous, confused, etc. seems to be an acceptable form of behavior in most churches. Please, don't fool yourself. "The silent treatment" is far from acceptable according to...God's Word.

James 1:19-22  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

According to these verses in James, we as mature Christians, are not to let wrath, which is internal seething anger, boil and fester inside ourselves. In most church settings, yelling and telling people off is considered at unacceptable, so "good" Christians learn to internalize their anger, and they have led themselves to believe that not speaking to those they are frustrated with is acceptable.  What has happened to conducting ourselves in the manner of Ephesians 4:32?   And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.  So many Christians are good at following the rules of their church, but they have forgotten to apply such simple truths as Ephesians 4:32.  What good does wearing a long skirt, buttoning the top button, working on a bus route, working the altar on a Sunday morning do, if we are not applying the most basic truths of God's Word to our lives?  We must not fool ourselves into believing that we are good because we are outwardly modest or busy at church. Real Christianity starts in the heart with the simple, basic truths that are taught to our children:

be kind
have a tender heart towards people
forgive

So when James 1:22 says to be "doers of the word," I'm pretty sure that doesn't only refer to being modest and being a soul winner.  I'm not downplaying either of those qualities, but the REAL works of God take place in the heart and are manifested outwardly. Being kind is something you DO. Having a tender heart should be something that is DONE not just felt. "Forgive" is an ACTION. 

Don't fool yourself into believing you are good because you follow the rules. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" We all have wicked hearts that fool us into into thinking "I am good"; "I am better than others"; "My behavior is acceptable as long as I am going to church, reading my Bible, etc."  

Ask the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive to your treatment of other Christians. Sincerely search your heart to see if your spirit is judgmental. When you sense that you are guilty of mistreating your sister's in Christ, don't try to justify your behavior--it's time to hit the altar and change the attitude. Learn to say, "I'm sorry," even if you are not sure that you have offended someone, and realize when you are falling into the trap of emotionally abusing people, because that's what the silent treatment is.


7 comments:

  1. I believe this is so true. We must act as God's word instructs to act... putting on the mind of "Christ" and putting our human fleshy needs last. Thank you for the word. sister debi

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  2. My ex wife is currently using the silent treatment with me. She does not even communicate to co-parent. It hurts. It is also a form of murder.

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    1. That's horrible Brady my Mom is giving me the silent treatment and it hurts really bad. I'm sorry your ex wife treated you that way.God bless you.

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  3. My sons father has been giving both of us the silent treatment since August 4 & today is September 4. I could careless about him not speaking to me but your son. It's unbelievable how evil he's being & yes we're in the same apartment together.

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  4. I had a conflict with a sister-in-Christ and a best friend, at the beginning of this year. I apologized for my part in the conflict, she didn't. I said, that's OK, you don't need to apologize (I didn't want her unwillingness to apologize to hinder us from restoring the relationship). However, since then, this "mature Christian" has been giving me the silent treatment. It's as if she takes pleasure in her ability to hurt me. Over the years, I've done much for her, but looking back it was always a little bit one sided and always about her. I realize I need to let go - she has no intention of restoring the relationship. However, it has been devastating for me, draining me of energy. The silent treatment really is a horrible form of abuse. Even if she were willing to restore the relationship, I would be treading on eggshells, afraid of doing something wrong again, and then having to put up with more silent treatment. It really causes loss of trust.

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