SELF-DEFENDING
The answer is
simple: for myself, I do not believe that it is appropriate that I spend my
time defending my name. My name is nothing – who really cares about it? And I
am not called to waste precious hours and energy in fighting off every person
with a laptop who wants to have a pop at me. As a Christian, I am not meant to
engage in self-justification any more than self-promotion; I am called rather
to defend the name of Christ; and, to be honest, I have yet to see a criticism
of me, true or untrue, to which I could justifiably respond on the grounds that
it was Christ’s honour, and not simply my ego, which
was being damaged. I am called to spend my time in being a husband, a father, a
minister in my denomination, a member of my church, a good friend to those
around me, and a conscientious employee. These things, these people, these
locations and contexts, are to shape my priorities and my allocation of time.
Hitting back in anger at those who, justly or unjustly, do not like me and for
some reason think the world needs to know what they think of me is no part of my
God-given vocation. God will look after my reputation if needs be; He has given
me other work to do.
Carl
Trueman
Life would be
a perpetual flea hunt if a men were obliged to run
down all the innuendos, inveracities, insinuations and misrepresentations which
are uttered against him.
A sin is two
sins when it is defended.
Henry Smith
A Puritan
Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by
permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 101.
The godly man
sometimes may be so overclouded with calumnies and reproaches as not to be able
to find a way to clear themselves before men, but must content and comfort
themselves with the testimony of a good conscience and with God’s approval of
their integrity.
David Dickson
A Puritan Golden Treasury,
compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 284.
God has not
commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you defend your
character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood (about yourself),
which Satan's or God's servants may start to peddle, or to track down every
rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do
nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord.
Author Unknown
The best way
to deal with slander is to pray about it: God will either remove it, or remove
the sting from it. Our own attempts at clearing ourselves are usually failures;
we are like the boy who wished to remove the blot from his copy, and by his
bungling made it ten times worse.
C.H.
Spurgeon
The Treasury of David, Commentary for Psalm
119:20.
When we in
turn are challenged, let us not defend ourselves and explain ourselves. Let us
take it in silence, thanking the other; and then go to God about it and ask
Him. If he was right, let us be humble enough to go and tell him, and praise
God together.
Roy Hession
The Calvary Road,
Christian Literature Crusade, 1950, p. 82. P.O. Box 1449, Fort Washington, PA
19034-8449. Used by Permission.