Good evening my readers;
I hope you are all doing well. What a beautiful, but cold day it was today. So let
us dive right in to tonight’s topic, which I am excited to share what the Holy Spirit
has placed on my heart with each of you. My prayer is that I can convey this
message in such a loving and gentle way that my point is taken in such a way
that hearts are convicted, and you all are encouraged. Therefore, without
further a due my topic is “A Spirit of Gentleness and Accountability”
We live in a very
postmodern society that is focused on “I” and its very much a “ME” world. Many
think that they can do this all alone, and we all know that in today’s society
everyone gets offended about everything, everyone feels that someone is looking g at their life with judging eyes
and people just don’t want others to get
into their life. I feel that this topic
has a two subtopics, meaning that how do we show the Love of Christ to others
who have yet have that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The other side of the topic is when one of our
brothers or sisters in Christ is sinning, how do we approach them?
Do we
come barging in in with the bible in our hands throwing scriptures at
them, condemning them and judging them? Or do we First Approach the throne of
God in prayer to give us the words to speak in love and grace without judgment.
To speak the truth in Love! The idea
of this blog came after a few days ago early in the morning while having my
coffee at the kitchen table, doing my personal devotions. I came across this
Scripture Galatians 6 :1-2 Which
says this “Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual,
should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves
so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens, in the way you are
fulfilling the law of Christ!
It really got me thinking about a conversation
I was having with someone just a few days prior and I felt the Holy spirit
speak to my heart and say Natalie this is something I want you to write about
in your blog. tonight before I even began after sitting down at my husband desk to write
this, I bowed my head in prayer, asking for the Holy spirit to speak, , not my
words, but His! Think about this for a moment, the WORD Gentleness! The dictionary
says it means the Sensitivity of Disposition and kindness of behavior!
We need to mirror Christ in all we say and do.
That is the only true way that the World will know we are different. that is how
we will reach the lost, not by the degree behind our name or how much theology
we know and can explain, but by LOVE! Yes
we need to know Gods word, we need to hide it in our hearts and be ready to
defend our beliefs, but in a spirit of gentleness! When we witness to
nonbelievers, it’s not the scriptures they will hear first, it’s not our
knowledge, but how we carry ourselves, do we speak in love, do we show love in
our actions and do they line up with one another.
Then comes the tougher part of the Great commission
after we go, we need to make disciples and part of that process is carrying
each other’s burdens, but carrying one another’s burdens is not just pertaining
to the struggles we encounter, but holding each other Accountable! Yikes, that
word many Christians get uneasy when that word is brought up. They do not want to
answer to anyone! They do not want to be held accountable! Yet accountability
should be both sharing in one another’s burdens and confession of sins!
Here is a quote a
found by Amelia Earhart “ A single act
of kindness throws roots in all directions and the roots spring up and make
more trees!” SHOWING the love of Christ instead of always speaking, that can produce more seeds sometimes and more roots are planted
than always just getting out your bible,
there is a time for the bible to be taken out, because that’s our compass that’s
Gods Holy Word! God breathed!
So I ask you what happens when your brother or sister in Christ
is sinning, you see them stumbling, do you sit back and do nothing? No let’s look in the Scriptures
and see what it says! Lets open the bible and read Matthew 18:15-17 says this; If your brother sins against you go,
and rebuke him in private if he listens you have won your brother. If he won’t
then take one or two more with you so that by the testimony of two or more witness
every fact may be established, if he pays no attention to them, tell the
church, but if he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a
unbeliever!
There is a big difference
in judging someone vs accountability! We are not to Judge! We are not God! Only
God can see the Heart of Man! Pray that God leads you to someone you can
disciple, and then pray that God gives you wisdom to hold that person accountable!
In addition, you need someone to hold you accountable!
When you have found
that person, hold that person accountable, it’s going to take you out of you
both comfort zone, and truth hurts sometimes, spoken in love. Just like a
parent uses tough love on their children, our heavenly Father uses it on us and
we need to learn to Love in such a way that we hold our brothers and sisters in
Christ accountable for their actions!
Proverbs 27:17 says this As Iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another! Quite often God uses people in our lives to
speak to our hearts!
We need to get over
being afraid to offend, and on the receiving end, we need to listen and pray
with discernment that if someone speaks truth into our lives that its Gods
voice and not their own! We need as Christians to hold each other accountable,
no matter how much you might despise that word it’s a vital part of the growing
spiritual maturity and discipleship process! Here is a old proverb I found that
was very enlighten! It says, “Conquer a man who never gives by gifts, subdue
untruthful men by truthfulness, vanquish angry man by gentleness, and overcome
the evil man by goodness! That is eye-opening advice.
The point of this
entire blog is this: Showing a spirit of gentleness and holding our brothers
and sisters in Christ accountable; MUST be
done with Grace and Love, without judgment. As a parent loves and guides their
child, the child does not always like what they are told and taught, but its
done with love and in the same way, we need to do this for our family in Christ
Jesus! Lets grow together on this ongoing journey!
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