Book 3 of Musings Correcting People Before Gods Time

We should not spend our time trying to correct the faults we find in our fellow Christians.

All we succeed in doing is venting our own irritations and making them angry. We try to perform an operation without providing an anesthetic.

Have you ever tried to correct a fault in a fellow church member? Or perhaps more to the point, Has a fellow church member attempted to correct you?

Maybe the problem is one of how the person dresses, or how they discipline their children, or how proud they act when they "give their testimony."

Maybe we feel called on to put the pastor right or set the church in order.

Have you ever seen an example of this?

You know what? We may think we are in the right and doing God's will. But the chances are we merely are irritated at the other person. They are not doing what we think they should. But then, how does the Lord regard the individual?

Almost always it is better to pray than to attempt to correct people.

I have noticed that people will have some part of their personality that I think needs improving. But the Lord will let it continue year after year and never, apparently, reprove the person. Then there is a temptation for me to ride to the rescue.

It is well to think about how Jesus corrects you. Did you ever notice His tactics? He brings you into situations that cause so much pain you are more than willing to change. Then Jesus ever so sweetly instructs you and helps you make the desired improvement.

We can't do that for other people. We have such a beam in our own eye that when we try to examine the piece of sawdust in our brother's eye we knock him flat with our beam.

There are times, of course, when we are called on to correct people. We have to correct our children, for example. As an employer we may have to correct an employee. Sometimes a pastor is called on to bring a problem to an individual's attention.

But in every case, including the correcting of our children, we must never proceed in anger. If we do, the person senses our anger and is not as open to constructive change as could be desired.

We need to get all the anger out of us. Then we need to sit down with the Lord and ask Him to explain to us why the person is acting as they are.

I remember one time teaching the fifth grade. A boy in the class would lay his head on his desk and sleep during class.

Before I roared at him I asked some of the children why they thought he was sleeping. They said his mother was doing drugs and keeping him awake at night.

So I did not bother the boy. There was nothing I could do about the mother at the time, so I let him sleep.

God has not called us to be fruit inspectors. God is infinitely patient with people. Have you noticed how patient He is with you?

One of the greatest joys a pastor experiences is to see someone who has been a weak believer for many years suddenly blossom into a strong Christian. This happens, just as a sickly bush in your yard suddenly comes to life after several years.

We just need to be patient with other people, and with ourselves.

We have been called to be in the image of our Father in Heaven. Jesus already is in that image. When we compare ourselves with the Lord Jesus we note a huge difference, don't we?

We could get discouraged. But I don't think we should. I believe God intends for us to grow over millions, maybe billions of years as measured by our earthly time. What is the hurry?

I suppose our life on earth, for most of us, is kind of a roughing out. I mean by that the Painter roughs out the picture to begin with. I don't think God expects us to be changed fully into the image of Christ in our present lifetime. He does expect us to make the changes He points out to us. If we are careless about this we certainly will be punished, and maybe lose our crown for eternity.

There are some people who are so dedicated they make great strides in personality transformation. These shall reign as kings, because they have been so faithful and obedient during their time on the present sin-cursed earth-which David termed "the valley of the shadow of death."

But for most of us, a change here and there and the trip is over. We have been faithful with what we have been shown and given, and this is all the Lord requires for right now. He has eternity to build from here.

So let us be patient with one another and with ourselves. God knows what He is doing. When people irritate us with their ways (which sometimes is more our problem than theirs) let us go to prayer until the irritation leaves. After all, we do not know what trials they are going through, so why add to their burden by criticizing them?

Of course, gossip and slander are deadly enemies of the cross of Christ. Whoever gossips about and slanders a fellow Christian is on dangerous ground and is courting spiritual death. God is not at all pleased with slander and gossip. It is the Dragon who is the accuser of the brothers.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (Psalms 23:1-3)