In Haggai 2, we see people rebuilding the temple, a great work for the glory of God. In the New Testament, we see that we are His temple, and the ministry of building churches refers to building people to grow in the Lord. In Haggai chapter 2, a question is asked in verses 12 to 14, like this:
"Suppose someone takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. If he then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all, will it make that food consecrated also?”
When the question was asked, the priests answered, “No.”
Then Haggai asked, “Suppose someone is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?”
The priests answered, “Yes.”
The simple lesson we can learn from here is that it is easy to get defiled, while it takes intentional effort and a decision to stay holy. The Holy Spirit will help us remain holy. And why should we strive to be holy and not defiled when we try to build God's church or His people? It is because unholiness is an enemy to the anointing a person carries.
The New Testament says, "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." (Matthew 15:18).
We, as God's children, should be careful not to let things defile us by engaging in unnecessary conversations. We also defile our hearts by listening to such conversations. In today's environment, whenever someone presents a show, they often add inappropriate words to make it funnier and attract more audiences. Are we their audience? Or are we discerning the harm they bring and choosing to move away from it?
I have witnessed godly women guarding themselves from speaking unnecessary words to protect their anointing and peace but still listening to people gossiping and speaking ill of others. We know there are dedicated channels that exist only to spread negativity about others. May God give us the wisdom to guard our anointing, to keep us holy unto the Lord, and to distance ourselves from such conversations.
Hey friend, our God is faithful, and He says, "A faithful man shall abound with blessings." When He looks at us, may He see that we are making efforts to turn away from unclean talk. May we be of use to our Master. May we be His faithful servants.
Dear God, help us to be aware and careful of how we speak and what we listen to. Help us, Lord, to grow in You continuously. May You give us Your grace and strength to guard our holiness. May nothing in us hinder You from using us to fulfill Your purpose for us. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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