The Bible says that we must admonish each other, and that we must teach each other, and if someone has a revelation, or a psalm, all things must be done in order for us to grow in our spiritual walk with God.
And of course, we are not only to teach each other the truths of the Word of God, but we are also to correct one another in love, when we need to be corrected, or when we need to correct somebody else. But that must be done in love, because if we do not have love, we are nothing, as the Bible says. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds us up. When we read Galatians 2:11-14, that Apostle Paul rebuked Apostle Peter, for acting in hypocrisy, when Peter was eating with the Gentiles, at one time, but when other Jews came, he did not eat with Gentiles anymore. So in that case, Paul was rebuking Peter for his mistake. In other words, iron sharpens iron. It is good for us to be 'sharpened' by one another, otherwise, we could become too 'dull' spiritually. But it is important to do that in love. It is easier for us to accept any correction, when we see the love for us, from the person correcting us. That is how love builds us up. It makes us more willing to accept any correction from other believers, even if we do not agree with them. At the end of the day, who does not want to be loved? Although the correction may be very difficult pill to swallow, the fact that it comes to us on the wings of love, makes it easier for us to accept it. I wonder how Peter felt about the rebuke from Apostle Paul? We do not know, because we do not know how Paul said it to Peter. We know that it is important not only what we say, but how we say it too. Sometimes, we can say the truth to someone, but not in a very nice way. Or vice versa. We can still say the truth, but in a nicer, and more acceptable way. So, although we read that Paul rebuked Peter, we do not actually know how Paul said it to Peter. Love makes a hard truth, easier to accept. And we can 'kill' a person with a joke. Although it is a joke, if we do not say it in a nice way, it can actually hurt a person, instead of making them laugh. So we have to be careful, how we 'sharpen' one another, just as a iron sharpens iron.
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There are sometimes, moments in your life, when you wonder, why if you do some things, which you know are right, and especially right in the eyes of God, because you have his Word, to make you think so, there are some people, or even Christians, who will say, all sorts of not so good things, about what you are doing, or about yourself. And of course, at the same time, there will be some other people, and even Christians, who will say various or many positive things, about what you are doing, or about yourself. And you find yourself, wondering, why there are those two types of reports, from people about you, positive and negative, about the one and the same thing you are doing.
But I would suggest, that you are not alone in that, and that there are many other Christians, who are undergoing the same treatment, just like yourself, about the good and right things, they are doing, by being criticised by one group of people, and being praised by another. And now, what is more important for you to realise, is that when Jesus was on earth, there were also two types of people, the ones who were saying some positive things about him, and some others, who were saying some negative things about him, and what he was doing or teaching. Look at Matthew 11:18, 19, and see, how people had a negative opinion, about John the Baptist, and about Jesus. And those verses, show some contrast between John the Baptist, and Jesus, in the sense, that John the Baptist, was not indulging in eating food, and Jesus, was sitting and having meals with sinners. The people criticised John the Baptist, even if he was not eating too much, and was not doing anything, which is not very commendable, and they did the same for Jesus. So, whatever John the Baptist and Jesus did, there were people around them, who would not like or approve, what they were doing. So why are you surprised, if sometimes, you find people saying things about you do, which are not very nice, although you know, that those things you do, are good, and is nothing negative about them? Do not be, that is, how it is. You will always have that type of comments from people, whatever you do. Jesus was perfect, never sinned, and there were people, who said all sorts of horrible things about him. You and me, can not escape, that type of treatment either, because the student is never above his teacher. |
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