Skip to main content

The Road Less Traveled

Matthew 18:15
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
Hebrews 12:10-11 says, “God disciplines us for our own good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” What better way to love a brother or sister in Christ than to redirect them onto the road less traveled? There have been many times in my life where I have been confronted. As the receiver, I had the ability of reacting in one of two ways: I could continue in my sin or I could respect that what I was doing was sinful and change. As I look back, I ponder in thought about how grateful I am for those who loved me so much as to sit me down and point out to me that what I was doing was against the Word of God. Of course, there were many other times where I chose to ignore the rebuke and continue in rebellion, causing more harm to myself in the end. Though these times of discipline were uncomfortable and sometimes awkward, they were necessary because it was in those moments of vulnerability that brought forth individual growth and strengthened relationships. Over time, I have realized that the only people who rebuke me are those who acquire the heart of the Lord and desire nothing more than to see me share in his holiness, as Hebrews 12:10 says. When it comes to others, it is just as uncomfortable to confront as it is to be confronted. Though I am usually always on the receiving end of rebukes, there have been a handful of instances where I have dealt them, too. I have always found it important to remember that when it comes to confronting others, it is about nothing other than promoting change for the person being confronted. When we approach others who are in sin with this attitude, love becomes the reason and Christ remains the center. 

Application
Today, I will write down the rebukes in which I have received since being here and recognize the growth that has come from them. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Off Balance

1 Corinthians 12:14-15 “ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.” Simply spoken, even when we feel as though we do not belong, that does not mean we are allowed to quit. Each one of us has a vitally important role in the body of Christ, just as the foot plays a vitally important role to the body. Without the foot, the body would be off balance and we would not be able to walk. Without the ability to walk, how would the will of God be fulfilled? It wouldn’t. Similarly, we must be willing to submit to the calling the Lord has placed on our lives without being quick to reject it. His plan is perfect, and even if it is something we are not accustomed to, if it is in His will, it will pan out for our good and His glory. I despised the majority of my time as a nurses aide, and looking back, I realize now that I was relying on stre...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Remedy

1 Timothy 4:8 “For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” To be disciplined in exercising our physical bodies, we must push ourselves everyday to do more, to be better. We must endure the pain that follows if we want to remain fit but after a while, it becomes routine and though the pain might still be evident, it is no longer bothersome. It becomes so routine that it feels odd when we do not do it, as if we are breaking a law that we ourselves have put in place. In the same way, we must exercise our faith in the Lord on a daily basis to remain in His will for our lives. Our Father strives to have that personal relationship with us, but like any earthly relationship, it takes effort; it takes prayer, reading, and listening to what the Father is conveying to us. Though exercising our physical bodies may give us relief for a short while, spending quality time with the Lord is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vertical Identity

Psalms 139:13-14 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” It is so easy to get caught up in the lies of the enemy who whispers in my ear that I am not good enough. It is so easy to look to the left and to the right at my sisters in Christ and compare myself to their seeming flawlessness, forgetting that Jesus died for their sins, too. Sure, I am louder and more outspoken than most, but this by no means indicates that the Lord loves me any less because He created me to be that way. It is only when I come to accept these aspects about myself that I consider to be so detrimental that the Lord can use them for His glory and my good. Does this mean that I will assume perfection? Absolutely not, but it does mean that I no longer have to be a slave to self-hatred. It means that I no longer have to rely on horizontal approval when my identity...
Post a Comment
Read more