I know I am not alone in that I socialize with a variety of people on different maturity and spiritual levels. I have those who are not quite where I am because of an age or experience barrier, I have my peers...who are supposedly on my same level (sometimes I doubt that though :P), and then there are the older generation of folks that I mingle with whose experience and maturity outweighs my own.
One day, I feel like the elder, having to correct/offer advise to another. Then the next day, I feel like the young child with people correcting me and guiding my steps. This duel role-playing is a healthy balance, but sometimes it makes it hard to distinguish a "chain of command" and a way to address certain people in certain situations.
When it comes to confronting and correcting someone, Scripture teaches us to present our faith with "gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15) and that correction should come out of a motive of love and not to puff yourself up (Matthew 7). Yet when Jesus was engaged with the religious leaders of His day, I do not see Him speaking to them with gentleness or humility. I do believe He spoke to them out of love, that they might see the evil of their ways, but He didn't do it politely. I am not a scholar, but I am pretty sure "brood of vipers" isn't a compliment, yet Jesus addressed the Pharisees and other religious leaders like that more than once.
I know that Scripture is meant for the purpose of teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Yet, Jesus drove businessmen out of the temple with a "whip of cords" and overturned tables, while Paul advises Timothy to be gentle and loving in his ministry.
Question: Is gentle correction for the ignorant and a stern confrontation for the arrogant? Where do you draw the line from speaking with gentleness and love to overturning tables and shouting?
Thoughts?
Hmmm. That's a toughie.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I think. (At the moment, anyways. =])
We are responsible for loving all of God's people, and we are also responsible for confronting a fellow Christian when they are living openly in contrast with God's word. I don't believe we are responsible for that Christian's reaction to our confrontation (although it may hurt us to see them hurting themselves further.)
Don't get me wrong, there is such thing as a righteous anger; however, I have never encountered anyone (arrogant or ignorant) who responds positively to an angry confrontation. Jesus is Jesus. He rocks. He can get away with it; he's God! But I don't think God would ever want us to act violently or angrily toward one of his children, no matter what they have done. We need to always act out of love and humility.
Although some people might need a knot jerked in their chain, that is God's job, not ours. I personally think that a gentle correction is normally the way to go. (This also depends on your relationship to the person, of course.) You can't go wrong with a gentle correction; you've done your job as a Christian (in upholding God's word) and you've also shown a gentle love to the wayward Christian (which is much more likely to draw that person back into the fold.) My fear is, if I were to issue a stern and angry rebuke, I might push that person even further from God.
However, fear is no excuse. If we see a Christian that is not following God's word, it is our responsibility to call them out. Ultimately, God is in control; if you feel he is calling you to turn over some tables, then by all means, go for it! (If you are confronting a group of people, rather than an individual, I can see the need for such a stern reproach.) But most people, even the very arrogant, will respond to a one-to-one conversation that shows true concern for their heart.
After that gentle rebuke, further measures may need to be taken. (Even if it means more gentle and patient conversations; depending on the Christian's actions--for instance, if they are hurting others in their disobedience--I think a righteously angry approach is definitely warranted.)
As a general rule, I would always start with a gentle and loving approach. God is going to discipline his children; we don't need to. But if God is calling for an angry reproach, we still need to be ready to do His will.
Hope that helps--Just my opinion. =)
Sarah Pilcher
Thanks for this Sarah. I just now realized that I never responded when you posted this comment, but I DID read it and found it helpful and encouraging. I very much appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and encourage me and any other readers towards godliness. You rock. :-)
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