Daily Devotional for Monday, August 22

Helping Others

There is an expression concerning war: they shoot their wounded. It has been said that, rather than deal with the drain of resources for caring for their own wounded, they just shoot them. The phrase has come into use in the business world to refer to the way some organizations treat those who may be struggling or are weak. Rather than help them along, the organization basically destroys them and their careers. 

While the above is very sad, it is even sadder when this mentality permeates local churches; yet it is not uncommon at all. The erring ones in the congregations are often gone after with glee and that is shocking. Sometimes, you talk about them behind their backs and gossip. Sometimes you just sort of shut them out of your little social circles. Maybe even, you make some heavy handed attempt at church discipline. This is not the godly way. Even when discipline is warranted, the goal is to punish or discipline the offender; the very word church discipline is misleading. The devotional verse tells you what the goal for the erring one is; to restore the erring member. 

What if Jesus treated you in the same way as you treat each other? That answer is easy; each one of you would be hell bound, because that is the sort of forgiveness you often extend to one another. That is not the example your Lord set, and you ought to do better. Your love for the One who offered Himself for you should motivate you to do likewise for the brethren.

JUST A THOUGHT: If you treated each other the way Jesus treated you, the world would be a better place.

Wally Fry