Troublemaker

 “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, ‘Art thou he that troubleth Israel?’” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s house. . .” (1 Kings 18:17–18)

When he saw Elijah, King Ahab said, “So you are Israel’s troubler.” As God’s prophet in the land, Elijah boldly spoke against Israel’s disobedience to God’s commands. Because he proclaimed the truth at God’s bidding, Ahab labeled him a troublemaker. Elijah turned the king’s words back to him, saying it was he who troubled Israel; he and his pagan wife, turning Israel’s heart from worshiping the only true God to false gods. God’s people chose for themselves to follow their leading, engaging in their evil practices. Although they were misled, Israel blatantly rebelled against God. Rather than receive the blessings God promised for obedience, they experienced the consequences of disobedience: famine in the land.

 Have you ever been accused of being a troublemaker or a whistleblower? A tattler? A whistleblower reports illegal or harmful activity that could adversely affect a person, the public, businesses, or a nation. Tattling supplies information about others’ every minor wrongdoing, often so they feel better about themselves. Those actions, although wrong, would not affect society. Troublemakers maliciously cause trouble, usually inciting others to follow them in resisting authority. Elijah spoke God’s truth, warnings, and call to repentance while the evil troublemakers of Israel, Ahab, and his wife Jezebel, defied God’s sovereignty.

You may have seen, heard, or read something offensive—it was misleading, false, wrong, and could harmfully affect someone. A deciding factor as to whether report such a matter that could mar your reputation would be to consider the condition of your heart. Do you feel the need to report the issue because it violates God’s Word? Has the situation broken established rules? Was a person harmed or face harm? Was the law of the land abused? Or has someone crossed the line you’ve drawn from a self-imposed standard or law of which you appointed yourself executor, and you’re in a twist? Once you know your reason to talk about a situation legitimately, and if your heart is right with God, speak the truth in love with His boldness.

God-directed-words can encourage confession of sin and repentance. When straying, rebellious people turn back to God; spiritual famines end in individuals and across the land. God takes those once dry, hard, cracked, broken, but now repentant lives and restores them to vibrant health.