2021-05-21
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Long ago, Christ taught us in MT 7: 1-2, “Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and He will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.” In that same section of Matthew, the example is given that we need to be careful offering to remove a speck from our fellow person’s eye, for we might have a log in our own. Now, let’s look at what should be done if we suspect the wrongdoing of another person. GA 6: 1-2, “…Those of you who are spiritual should set him right but must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted too. Help carry one another’s burdens, and in that way, you will obey the law of Christ.” The temptation here for the one correcting the wrongdoing is to become self-righteous. And we all know that gives Christianity a bad name.
I found myself in such a situation many years ago. It occurred to me that a man in my congregation was having an affair with a woman in it to whom he was not married. I went to our senior pastor in private about this situation, asking him for his advice. He already knew about it and knew that the man had been a Platonic friend of mine. He told me and asked me to go to him in private, as the prophet Nathan had gone to King David when David was cohabiting with Bathsheba [2 SAM 11: 1-27]. I was to find a private and gentle way to let this man know his wrongdoing was causing trouble for the congregation. I did as the pastor suggested, praying first and being as gentle about this situation as I could. To my surprise the man explained that the woman wouldn’t let him out of the relationship without shaming him in public, and he was already regretting the choices he made. As the next few weeks went on, he had not put an end to the relationship. It dawned on me that my actions weren’t bearing fruit. So, I went back to the senior pastor and told him what I did and how ineffective it was. That was when the senior pastor took the action recommended by MT 18: 16, which was to go to the man with two trusted congregational leaders to discuss the situation. This time the lady was included in the discussion. Truthfully, I was relieved to be out of these discussions, as I felt there was nothing more I could do to help. In DT 19: 15, the system of discerning truth was aided by having two witnesses. That is the system that was used, and the woman eventually left our congregation.
We are asked to help bear one another’s burdens. There are times when this isn’t easy to do, but it is necessary. We simply must remember the parable of the Good Samaritan [LK 10: 25-37]. Kindness is a gift to us from the Holy Spirit and being kind is what Christ wants us to do. Even in a very controversial situation we must use logic, patience, self-control, and remain calm. There are times when we need to wait until the wave of emotions has had time to settle down before we offer the help we can. So, picking a time when the other person has had time to calm down and isn’t preoccupied can enable a solution for the problem to be found. GA 6: 9-10 reminds us to never tire of doing good for others. This is especially true for our family of faith. There are circumstances when we must wait for the time that the Holy Spirit prompts us to do it. God knows best how to do the maximum good for the largest number of people in the best possible time. We must surrender to God’s will, delight in the meat of God’s teaching and not just the milk. If we are having trouble doing good, we must remember IS 40: 31, “But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed/. They will rise up on wings like eagles; they will run and not grew weary; they will walk and not grow weak.”
The Bible says what we need, but the most difficult thing is to trust God and to follow His teaching. In solving problems, we must consider our own attitude and any biases we might have. Sometimes biases are hidden deep down, the product of the way we were raised, or the outcome of some experience we have had. Our Lord Jesus asks us to be introspective enough to dig deep down in our souls in preparation for confession. Yes, there are times when we must seek human help, but we still must seek God’s help first. A friend living in an apartment building, was awakened one night when her dog began barking. Smoke was issuing into her bathroom, and she recognized time was of essence, as her apartment building was on fire. She quickly prayed, called the local fire department, and guided herself and her dog outside. A few minutes later, the firefighters arrived. As she stood outside of the building, it became obvious that this blaze didn’t start in her unit, but in the one next to it. She thought about how these firefighters were willing to put themselves in danger to save the building. She was blessed in that she didn’t have much damage to her unit or lose many of her belongings, because of their quick response. As it turned out later, the occupant of the apartment next to hers had been smoking in bed and fell asleep as the cigarette still burning dropped to the floor. Do I believe God sends His angels to protect us? You bet I do!
PRAYER: O Lord, we must begin this prayer by offering You praise and thanks for always listening to our prayers, for the obedience of Jesus Christ in giving His physical life on the cross for us, and for His resurrection as the First among many people. Over our own years of faith in Him, we come to see that Your love for us is greater than any human has, and that You never abandon us [PS 9: 9-10]. We are capable of sin and breaking Your law, but we have the power to avoid temptation and to do what is right. This isn’t always easy, and we run the risk of losing friends in that process, but if You mean for us to be friends with another person, it will happen. Moreover, You bring many people into our lives that have been given the power to teach us important lessons and for us to benefit their lives too. For the last five weeks, Your Spirit has led me to write about the relationships between sin, the Law, and Your grace. We must imagine the grace You have given us in walking us through the challenges, troubles, illnesses, and losses one experiences. As a senior citizen, I can look back on my own life and see the patience, wisdom, and protection You have given me in such situations as these. We should never feel we are abandoned and alone, for You are always with us. You are near and hear our cries for help. Your Son, Jesus Christ advocates for us, so that we who are innocent find justice. It is in His mighty name that we offer up this prayer of thanks and praise. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: We will begin an important series of messages on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first gift is love, and there is plenty to consider in how real love and love that is false impact our lives. A relative of mine got into a discussion of with me about what real love is just before he was to get married. He didn’t know I was quoting from the NT Scriptures when I read what I believe real love is, but those words were a very positive force in that marriage. I know this because I’ve been in a position to observe how that marriage has been for the last 21 years. My own husband and I have been married for almost 45 years, and I had shared some of the things that make our marriage so successful. It delights me to think that the words I shared are helping others, as they are very precious to me. I will share more about that next week.
In the meanwhile, let me take this opportunity to ask for your prayers for all those families who have lost loved ones in this Covid 19 pandemic. We need also to offer our praise and thanks to God for giving the medical researchers the formulas for the vaccines that are helping to end it. For every person who has overcome and survived, we can thank our Lord for all the first responders and medical personnel who have put their lives on the line to save us. They are following the science that God has given them, and so should we. Please get vaccinated if you have not already been! Praise and thanks to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved
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