When is the last time we thanked someone for rebuking us? I was thinking about this today, our culture is hung up on encouraging others, but with a twist on the meaning of encouragement. Honesty has been lost because our idea of encouragement is based on our culture and not on the Word of God. We think we are encouraging by flattering to cause good feelings. Proverbs 26:24-28 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Proverbs 29:5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. I find it encouraging when the Lord says to me not that way, go this way. In our culture however, any sort of instruction contrary to what we want is considered unacceptable negativity. Those who love the Lord deeply, will, at the very least, pray when they are corrected, to be sure whether or not the person is justified in the correction. Sometimes the correction is obviously necessary and there is no need to pray over it, we just know we were caught and must confess it. Other times we are not sure if our decision was right, even though it might not have been sinful, it may have been inconsiderate and need to talk things out and clear things up. Another question might be; is it sin to be inconsiderate? Perhaps it is because it is a self focus, when we should be continually aware of the needs of others around us. This is what manners are all about. The hardest thing for someone like me in these present times, is that everyone wants to make light and happy, in the presence of others, but will not tell the truth about their thoughts. Nothing that is broken can be fixed until we can take an honest look at it, call it what it is and begin a discussion. The reason we dont see this most of the time, is the immense pride of those who are hiding from God. When someone is exposed, who is not trusting Christ, they often become ravenous wolves to divert attention from themselves. They may even go on the counter attack when confronted. We never have very close relationships because they are based on superficiality rather than reality. Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. The purpose of discussion and confrontation is to clean up a mess and become restored to our brother. When there is a problem between brothers, the more we ignore it the further we move from that brother. If we love our brother we want to clean up messes, even if it means having to humble ourselves and admit our sin. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. God wants us to confess to Him, showing our good faith in practicing honesty and humility, just as He wants us to do the same among the Brethren. 1 John 1:9 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. One who will never confess and humble himself before another brother, will never grow and may even regress. Humility and honesty causes spiritual growth. Pretense destroys! Superficiality destroys! Pride, of which is the foundation of the first two elements destroys! God provided a plan for confession and reconciliation that works the best, when we do it our own way, hoping the problem will all go away by itself, we are harboring pride, preventing any possibility of reconciliation. Remember too, if we will not reconcile with our brother or sister in the Lord, then we will be astranged from God until we do make it right with the family of God. Let us also remember that we are not an island, when we harbor bitterness and pride, our example, harms others in the body. We will be accountable for our bad example and those we harm. 2 Thes. 3:6-12 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyones bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. ... Humility goes against the grain of our very nature, but through Christ we can overcome. He can give us what we need to obey Him, the blessings is the complete release of all sin that imprisoned us. Living in sin of any kind without confession, is a sort of spiritual prison. I would rather be in the confines of the four walls of a cement prison with a free conscience, than on the outside with a conscience that plagues me daily, leaving me in a state of continual justification, never taking any rest from the burden of it. John 8:32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 21:39:44 +0000
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