It is not uncommon to have people close to you who oppose speaking in tongues. I know countless believers who have had a hard time dealing with people close to them opposing speaking in tongues.
By nature, it is expected for speaking in tongues to have many people who oppose it. Despite being a gift of the Holy Spirit, it is hard to believe that the seemingly gibberish talk has spiritual value.
The level of humility required to enjoy the gift of speaking in tongues is too high for many people. Because of this, every tongue speaking believer needs to be prepared to tackle people who oppose speaking in tongues especially if they are close to you.
How to keep your faith through speaking in tongues persecution
1. Expect it
The very first thing you need to understand about speaking in tongues is that the devil hates it. And because of the hate that the devil has against the gift, you are bound to face opposition.
The Bible is very clear about this matter. From the very first day that we were introduced to speaking in tongues, we see that there was opposition.
On the day of Pentecost when the disciples of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, there were those outside who accused them of being drunk.
Nobody enjoys being accused of being drunk when they are speaking in tongues. It must have been painful for those disciples to hear the accusations that were fronted against them.
The Bible tells us that Peter stood up to clarify what was happening.
The gift of speaking in tongues comes with opposition. Expect it! It may not be clear where the opposition will come from but be assured you will face it.
The devil will not sit back and let you speak in tongues and destroy his kingdom without putting up a fight. God permits it to happen and when we overcome the persecution our faith grows.
When you expect some form of persecution for speaking in tongues, you will have an easier time dealing with it when it finally comes.
God expects us to stand firm in speaking in tongues despite the challenges. The test will only be for a while.
2. Find encouragement in the pain
When you are persecuted for speaking in tongues, encourage yourself because nobody gets persecuted for doing evil. Persecution is one of the confirmations that God gives us to know that we are walking on His path.
This is very clear from the Bible; Jesus told us that we will be hated by all nations for His name’s sake. Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit and because the world does not know the Holy Spirit, it persecutes those who know Him.
The world did not recognize Jesus and it persecuted Him. When the Holy Spirit came to continue what Jesus started, the persecution continued on those who were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The Bible encourages us on multiple occasions to rejoice when we are counted worthy of suffering for the sake of the kingdom. Speaking in tongues is a kingdom gift and just like every other gift from Gods kingdom, it faces persecution from the world.
We are called to be bold. Don’t stop speaking in tongues even when the pain of persecution increases. There are examples in the Bible of believers who fought a good fight, finished the race and kept their faith.
In the book of Hebrews we are encouraged to look at such believers as our examples when times get tough.
3. Understand that you are fighting against the evil one
The most painful thing about persecution is the fact that you are suffering for doing good. Speaking in tongues edifies you and makes you a better person not only for yourself but also for those around you.
The devil hides behind people when he is attacking you for speaking in tongues. The aim is to confuse you such that you end up hating the people who oppose you.
You have to know that those people may not be aware that they are being used. The devil deceives people to fight against speaking in tongues so that if God is to send punishment, it falls on the people.
But God is not fooled by the tricks of the devil. He has prepared a punishment for the wicked deceiver.
When you understand that it is the devil who is fighting you through people, you will not pick fights with people but rather you will handle the battle spiritually.
Jesus overcame the devil. The devil used Pharisees, the Jews and Judas Iscariot to stop Jesus but they were unable. Despite successfully setting up false accusations that got Jesus crucified, the devil lost the ultimate battle.
Just like Jesus, endure through the persecution and be assured that God will grant you victory. Jesus was exalted after His suffering and His enemies were made to be His footstool.
Likewise, when you stand firm through the persecution of speaking in tongues, God will ensure that those who mocked you for speaking in tongues become dependent on you.
There are great benefits of speaking in tongues that God will make manifest in you to the point that those who fight you will have no choice but to admit that your tongues are indeed a gift from God.
“A man’s enemies shall be the members of his household” Speaking in Tongues Version
The concept of people close to you opposing your faith is not new. It has existed for a long time and a proverb was coined for it; ‘A man’s enemies shall be the members of his own household’.
Jesus quoted this proverb. He suffered its truth.
Since we are called to be like Jesus, we are expected to arm ourselves with the same mindset. It doesn’t matter how close the people who turn against you for speaking in tongues are to you. Provided you know that this concept exists, you should successfully endure the test.
Above all, soak yourself in tongues. You can only overcome the pain of being persecuted for speaking in tongues by speaking in tongues.
God is with you; never will He leave you, never will He forsake you.
Until next time…Peace!