Key Verse: Verse 1 - “ Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
Key Words: overtaken in a fault
The word fault means an unintentional slip or slide; to say or do something wrong unintentionally.
Some years ago in a cold Colorado winter, the bus captain call a pastor on a Sunday morning and told him the bus battery was “frozen” and the bus wouldn’t start. The pastor asked, “Will the engine run at all?” “No,” came the response. “Keep trying,” was the pastor’s request. Finally an hour later, the bus captain called the church and a member answered the phone. The bus captain said, “Tell the pastor that the bus has turned over.”
Well, you can guess what happened from there. The member went running through the church in a panic telling everyone in sight that the bus had turned over. Now everyone is in a panic. People are leaving to try to find “the turned over bus” until the bus comes driving up in the church parking lot. Now panic turns to anger. The one who originally received the phone was embarrassed. Some church members were acting unchristian toward their fellow member. Now, did he “mess up?” Yes! Did he sin? No! He did do something unintentionally. Now, the response should not be to become angry with the member, nor gossip, nor complain, and certainly not resent, but to lovingly restore (put back in place) to show forgiveness and love.
So remember that next time one of your brothers or sisters commit a fault, restore, “…considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” to slide or react rather than getting the right facts.
Dr. Mike Rouse
What to do:
✞ Be a Christian, not a critic.
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