Be godly, gentle and humble
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Galatians 6:1
Sadly, in every organisation of human beings things sometimes go wrong. It’s sad but also an inevitable fact. I love the gracious and positive way in which this verse addresses the issue. When someone sins it is not the end of the world. We don’t need to make a drama out of it, but action needs to be taken, and quickly. The goal is always restoration, but that needs to be done really carefully. The three major qualifications of people who help with restoring someone who has done wrong are godliness, gentleness and humility.
A godly person has their mind fixed on serving God and not themselves. They get involved in helping someone who has slipped up because of their love for God and their desire for his honour and glory. Clearly it would be disastrous if a person got involved because they were looking for their own glory, or because they just loved getting involved in the action.
Gentleness is a crucial quality. Strong arm tactics will never achieve God’s purposes. Gentleness might be thought of as weakness at times, but it is in fact enormously strong. Frances de Sales got it right when he said: “Nothing is as strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength.”
Humility is possibly the most vital quality. The only real way to help someone who has sinned is to remind yourself not only that you are also a sinner, but that you are vulnerable and could fall into exactly the same sin yourself.
Restoration is a wonderful blessing, so we need to give thanks for those godly, gentle and humble people who are willing to bring it about. Every church and organisation needs them.
QUESTION
Who do you know who could be described as godly, gentle and humble?
PRAYER
Lord God, I thank you for those who have the gift for bringing about restoration. Help me to recognise and celebrate their gifts. Amen
Artwork by George Jones