Gal 6:1
Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all genetleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempeted also.
What the Lord told me:
Just because you can see where someone has gone off track doesn't mean you are even capable of helping them or are "responsible" for correcting them, necessarily. Even if they ask you too, if you can't follow 6:1's conditions then you are wrong to try.
Also, the phrases "controlled by the spirit" and "Responsive" to Him! WOW! Just because you can hear the Lord and are obedient to do what He wants SOMETIMES doesn't mean you meet these qualificaitons everytime. You have to check yourself everytime at the time.
Literally, the only way to do this is to have 100% of your focus on God and not getting distracted by anything else. Including this person's drama.
You have to be able to see clearly the root issue and then gently use kindness to influence this person towards repentence without getting caught in their "junk".
You "falling into temptaion" is not just being careful about falling into the temptation this person is dealing with but also being careful of starting to judge this person for their inability to change like YOU want them too!
Now:
Let's ask ourselves why so many people are willing to follow the "correct your brother" part but overlook the "if you are able to..." conditions.
There are several things that come to mind as to why people will do this. Inadiquacy, self-righteousness, false teaching...
If I try to correct someone to change because I struggle with the same sin root then more then likely I am trying to convince myself to change rather then thinking about anyone besides myself. When I don't see a change, it frustrates my flesh. What I need to do is identify that root within myself, then give it to the Lord. Repent. See that the issue at hand has been taken care of by the cross and begin to see myself as Christ sees me. Perfectly Holy. Dwell on scriptures that back up what the Lord says about me. Focus on God's love for me. Let HIM minister to me.
Correcting someone else because you are trying to pay for your past isn't a good idea either. If I am trying to let my good out-weigh my past wrongs, it's self-rightesnous. Lot's of people consider the people they've spend time and effert in bettering as trophies. "How could they just do that, I envested so much into them." That is NOT what the Lord wants. There is a lack of self-worth. You are only good if you can make people change. Resolve: Let yourself realize that the "lack" of worth... its been taken care of already. Don't let your pride win and let you think that you can do ANYTHING apart from the blood of Christ, and all you do should be for Him, not you.
I have heard so many teachings about how you have a duty and obligation to correct your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. How you are a "slacker" and not pulling your weight for God if you aren't activly annoying somebody about how much they are off God's path for them. Bull. You have to find your Identity in Christ. Then when preaching like that comes along to manipulate you into feeling lack (most likely brough on by the lack in the teachers life) your foundation will be so grounded, they can't touch your resolve. You can not make yourself more of a Christian by your works.
So what positive thing did I take from this? We are to try to help our brothers and sisters, but only once we've died to our flesh. We can't help someone at all if we are trying to claw our way out of the same pit. I don't have to make myself care about others if I am growing closer to God, I will naturally do it because it's in his nature.
I see this verse not as demanding me to go correct all these sinners, but more describing who is actually capable. Someone who is free. Realizing this has broken chains off that I never even knew were there...
From bondage- I have an obligation to love you.
To Freedom- I have the heart of Christ, and I LOVE you.
Well, My Wise Little Friend. You have begun quite a God pong. So here is some back to you. I loved it. I really loved it. I had to read it at least three times so far.
ReplyDeleteYour points on correcting are fab. The bit about correcting someone b/c you struggle with the same issue...YES! We really can only see "dirt" on someone if we are also carrying the same "dirt." To the pure, all things are pure...right? And to correct because of this reason is exactly why Jesus said, get the board out of your own eye before you get the splinter out of your friends eye. I love that you said if you see it in someone else then just let the Lord minister to you.----Very good.
I cannot tell you how much I love the next point..."seeing people as trophies." Like if they change the way we want them, then it is a win for us. DISGUSTING Literally IN DEED! And if they don't, then the attitude comes up, "Look at what all I've done for them blah blah blah....." I just want to punch people in the face when I hear this. (To wake them up, of course, not to break their nose.) :) This is such a red warning flag. If anyone feels "hurt" because they sowed into their life and didn't reap what THEY wanted....Whoa....(breathe).... Seriously, what a selfish self-righteous jerk. If you can't love them despite their behavior and choices, you have NO RIGHT thinking you could "correct" them...whatever THAT means to you.
I'll tell you what I know correction to be....the God Kind of correction. The Holy Spirit convicts of our righteousness. OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Not acting righteous? He reminds us we are. We think we have to help him? WHAT IN THE WORLD! I have been corrected by God before when dealing with people, and I have to admit it was difficult to swallow. What he showed me is my way of thinking was Pharisaical. He told me a mistake I made was that I thought I had something to teach....The catch was that he told me I had something to teach, but I turned it into a mission. Here is the truth, when I looked for what it was I could teach them, then I automatically saw lack in them. I had something, but it would be evident because it's my way of life, not some doctrine or another. If they wanted to know or learn what it was I was living, then they would have asked. My life was the teacher....not my lesson for the day or whatever. I had to swallow some pride, but it was actually the best thing for me. Leaven started falling off me when I realized my proper place. Nothing I have to do....just being.
A buddy of mine recently got CORRECTED the Gal. 6:1 way. It's hard to go into details, but basically, they got hurt, their confidence was smashed, they were ready to give up. I actually witness his Gal. 6:1 beating. It went something like this, "You have a message to share. How dare you believe that you are anything less than what God says about you. People need to hear what you have to say. You have truth to set people free. He has big plans for you, but you need to put down those opinions of others that you have believed. Cowboy up, and allow the God in you to come alive. It doesn't matter what they think. You are allowing them to control you if you stay that way." Guess what? There was liberation and freedom on their life that hasn't been there...maybe ever. There are a new kind of bold. Proper correction edifies ALWAYS. Pointing out someone's lack will only give power to the thing they need to "change" from. It's counter productive. I believe very few people ever obtain Gal. 6 qualifications. Hopefully more will awaken to this truth you have brought out. <3