Deprogram to Reprogram!

(Prov 16:28 NASB) A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.

In this verse Solomon continues to explain the wicked acts of the man of Belial. Here he tells us that this man is truly perverse (or perverted). He is not living the way God intended for him to live. He is not walking down God’s desired path for his life. He is not seeking to maximize his purpose or potential. The enemy has been successful in perverting his purpose and the sad reality is that most people who are in this condition don’t even realize it. They are deceived and they don’t even know it. They think it’s harmless to talk about others. They don’t see it as a big deal to be instigators of strife. Why? Because it is part of their nature. They are programmed to it, so doing it comes natural. I will talk more about the programming part in a minute.

Solomon says that this man, this perverted and twisted man says things that wind up separating even the best of friends. If they don’t find any ‘juicy’ gossip on the surface, they dig for it until they find it and if they can’t, they simply make it up. They surmise stories, force innuendos, suggest wrongdoing, and are always on the lookout for something bad. The problem is that you will often find what you are looking for. So, if you are looking for trouble it will not take you long to find it.

It is truly sad when the slanderous talk of the twisted gets between close friends. I believe we all know relationships that have been destroyed by the loose and lying lips of others. As believers, we are here to spread goodness, not hatred; love, not strife; peace, not turmoil; and hope, not despair. But that’s the issue. Solomon is not speaking about believers. He is describing the man of Belial, the man who is deceived, the man who is programmed to live like the godless.

So what does this mean to you? You may be thinking, “Well Rick, if Solomon is not describing the believer, and I am a believer, then no big deal. This does not apply to me.” But hold on. Not so fast. Guess what? You were not always a believer. You used to be lost and you used to be programmed to live like the godless.

The question is: have you ever been reprogrammed? See, when you come to God you already have a way of living. You may have been so accustomed to doing things like the ungodly that you had no clue that you were doing them. And then you give your life to Christ. You are Born-Again. Praise God for that, but being Born-Again doesn’t mean that your mind changed overnight. When you were Born-Again your Spirit was changed, but your soul still has to BE changed. Your soul is comprised of your mind (your thinker), your emotions (your feeler), and your will (your chooser).

After your conversion experience, you must then learn – through God’s Word – how to think, feel, and choose God’s way.

Believe me, this is no instant process. Paul tells us that our mind has to be renewed (Rom 12:1,2). And oftentimes, for us to be reprogrammed we must first be deprogrammed. We must read passages like this that highlight the wickedness that some of us still practice. So can you be a believer and a slanderer? Can you be a believer and still talk about people stir up strife? Yes you can, but after reading passages like this my prayer is that you won’t, that you realize that this is not God’s best, and that you release the old in order to take hold of the new.

Father, I thank You for highlighting to me the destructive characteristics of the wicked. As I read passages like this I often realize that I am still practicing evil ways. The more You expose the sin I have in my life, the more I am able to recognize it, repent of it, and release it. My spirit was saved instantly, but my soul is being saved progressively. Day by day I am becoming more and more like You! Jesus did not only die so that I could miss Hell, He died so that I could become the person You desire for me to be. I shall become that person before I die. I am determined to deprogram and reprogram so that I can think, feel, and choose in ways that are pleasing to You! In Jesus’ name. Amen!