BITING PEOPLE

However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:15

The apostle Paul warned the church in Galatians not to bite and devour one another.

The Greek word for devour means “to eat down.” In modern day terms, they were gnawing on each other like an animal gnaws on a bone to get every last piece of meat off of it. This “biting one another,” means, speaking against or being critical of each other.

I think this warning Paul gave to a church years ago is still very relevant for the church today. I see and hear so much of this going on currently and it breaks my heart! Christians are taking bites out of other Christians, ministers and ministries. Why are we devouring one another?

In the book of Numbers, the children of Israel show us what can happen when people eat the wrong flesh. God sent the people manna and supernatural food to sustain them in the wilderness, but they lusted after their flesh, grumbled and wanted meat. God sent them just what they wanted. He dropped thousands of quail from the sky. So much quail, that the Bible says it was 36 inches high around the camp. That is a lot of quail!

They gorged themselves and along came a plague. The people got what they wanted, but they later didn’t like what they got.

There is a lesson to be learned for us in this event. We can choose between the heavenly manna or the flesh. We can choose to make a diet of the people we don’t like, people who have offended us or we can choose to eat life giving manna; the bread from heaven which is Christ!

When we devour one another we hinder spiritual blessings and the healing power of God is stopped up and cannot flow. The manna extended the life of the Hebrews while they were in the wilderness. Keeping free from offense, keeping our mouths shut and being willing to forgive will extend our lives and strengthen our spirits.



The church is at its best and shining brightly when we’re working together in unity, not devouring one another!

Declaration to Life: I will choose to forgive, keep my mouth shut and live free from offense. I will not allow the seeds of resentment to breed a root of bitterness that will choke out the blessings of God from my life.