(Kynan Bridges) In nature, there are only a few species that eat their own kind. This phenomenon is considered an anomaly. In the world of humans, those who engage in this practice are considered cannibals; this is an abomination. Yet there is another species that has a tendency to devour their own kind: Christians!
Paul warns the church in Galatians 5:15, “If you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.” The word devour comes from the Greek word katesthiō, which means: to eat up, or to consume by eating. The Judaizers were engaging in spiritual cannibalism. Many saints today are guilty of the same thing. Every time you gossip, “backbite,” criticize or slander a brother or sister in Christ, you are “devouring” them. Yes, they may be in one piece physically, but their reputation and esteem have been cannibalized.
Because God prohibits consuming human blood or flesh, there is a severe recompense for engaging in this abominable behavior. Many cannibals have been found to be extremely sick, or to have very short lifespans. The same is true of spiritual cannibalism. When we devour our own kind through slander and gossip, we become sick and shorten the life spans of our own destiny. CONTINUE
