.
Restoring The Fallen Ones
Charles
Stanley
Bear One Another's Burdens
6 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any
transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit
of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is
something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his
own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his
neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own
load. Galatians
6:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV)
The
Lord doesn't want the members of His body to live in isolation; believers are
intended to function as a loving family who actively care for each other.
One
of our responsibilities as part of God's household is to come alongside a
brother or sister who has stumbled.
Paul specifies
that those "who are spiritual"
are to restore the fallen ones to fellowship with the Father and the family.
"Spiritual" doesn't mean some elite group of pious leaders; it refers
to any Christians who are living under the Spirit's control.
A
key element in this process is the attitude of the one who seeks to restore a
fellow Christian.
A Spirit of Gentleness: This isn't a time for harshness, anger, judgment, or
condemnation. Our goal is not to heap pain and guilt upon a hurting brother or
sister but to show mercy and forgiveness (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
A Spirit of Humility: Those who have a superior attitude look down on a fallen
brother and think, I would never make those mistakes.
But
the humble know their own vulnerability. Instead of judging others, they
examine their own lives in order to recognize and deal with areas of weakness.
A Spirit of Love: When
we love others, we'll willingly sharing their burden. This requires an
unselfish investment of our time, energy, and prayer on their behalf.
How
do you react when a fellow Christian has stumbled?
One
of the ugliest human traits is our tendency to feel better about ourselves when
another person misses the mark.
Instead
of sharing the latest gossip about a fallen brother or sister, let your heart
break, and come alongside to love and help.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment