There will always be setbacks on this journey. The important thing is how they are handled. One month things are looking great then a month later I find myself ready to throw in the towel and just revert to keeping my thoughts to myself. In the end, I'm just not going to give up that easy. The apostles dealt with much worse than I am facing. I guess this is just another growth oppotunity.
2 Timothy 4:5 says, "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill you ministry." This is exactly what I'm going to do, fulfill my ministry. I can't do it by myself. I need the help of the Body.
I need correction like everyone else. Sometimes I might fight it. I might exasperate or even infuriate my teacher. That does not change the fact that I need correction. The Holy Spirit will convict. The Scriptures will correct. But if my brother remains silent, how can I grow?
Proverbs 23:13, 14 says, "Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge. Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell."
Hebrews 12:5-8 says, "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons: 'My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every one whom He receives.' If you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons."
I ask you my brothers, do not keep silent when you see that I am in error. I may not like it, it's humiliating. Guess what, it's not about me! God's honor and Truth are more important than my feelings. I want Him to be glorified. God bless (and correct) y'all real good.
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While I do agree that correction is necessary as we walk our faith, but I do think, just like in everything else, there is balance, and as Christians, again, we walk a narrow path here. And this is one of those times where I think community is also essential. We need to be careful of our motives in correcting, teaching, and rebuking. If we are doing it to fulfill our own agenda, or just be right, or just to be heard, thus the motives are wrong. Why would I want to trust someone like that? Yeah, Scripture speaks for itself, no matter who quotes it, and perhaps God uses those people, but it does make it harder to take from a person who I don’t trust loves me or has my best interest at heart.
People respected Jesus and his disciples because they walked the faith they preached. The example was set. Jesus was perfect, but the disciples and Paul, it is evident, are true followers, as was mimicked in how they lived. We need to be gentle in our approach. It’s one thing if a brother is blatently sinning or doing wrong and doesn’t care, then we need to take a more harsh approach, like Jesus did with the Pharisees. But it isn’t always the case in all circumstances.
There is Scripture everywhere that approaches using a gentle and loving Spirit. Let’s start with Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.” Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” Here’s a famous one, Galatians 5:22 and 23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is now law.” And finally Ephesians 4:1, 2, “Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.”
I see three great themes throughout Scripture, gentleness, patience, and the big one being love. I love my Sunday church community. Most are quick to LISTEN, SLOW to speak, and when they do, it’s in love. We try to consistently seek the Holy Spirit in all that we do.
You see, in one sense we need to guard our emotions and not take everything so personally, but on the other hand, if we truly know each other and you have a person who is sensitive and you know that, we should look out for each other and not go out of our way to offend each other for the sake of Jesus offended people. There’s a fine line. We also most remove the thorn out of our own eye before removing the speck out of someone else’s. We talked a little bit about this at church last Sunday. I eat too much. I’m not going to rebuke someone else who is gluttenous when I haven’t resolved the issue in my own heart. That is why sometimes I’m careful to speak, or want to be more careful. I must evaluate myself first. I can teach in a way that I humbly admit to my issue and gently share some things I’ve learned and walk side by side with someone dealing with the same issue, but do it carefully and with the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Paul approaches his churches in different ways. I think that is obvious in Scripture. The 1 Corinthians church was a mess. But there were other churches that had a different approach taken with them because of WHERE THEY WERE. In summary, we need to be listening to the Holy Spirit and discerning what what He saying.
Sorry to ramble, but this is something I’ve been dealing with and thinking about for a while. I’m very transparent and open to the people I trust and know have my best interests at heart. But I don’t give up a lot of my heart to people I don’t trust or I’m not sure love me with the love of Christ. No one is perfect, but I have put guard up a little over the last couple of years. I’m open to people, I don’t live in a box, people correct me, and I accept it willingly, from those whom I trust because I know the Spirit lives in them. Does that make any sense?
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