4 Things We Need To Administer Correction

“A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath, But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 (Amplified)

There have been many times in my life that I have needed spiritual correction. I am grateful for the times of correction because I know that it is always for the my growth and maturity in kingdom principles. I have found that there are different methods of delivering such spiritual correction. Some methods I respond to much better than others. The method in which my heart seems to respond to the best is when correction comes in the form of a gentle and thoughtful word. When a word of correction comes from a humbled heart, I can not help but respond quickly with a humble and repentant heart in return. This is the way God works. He will often speak to us in a still small voice, with a little nudge, or a small prodding helping us to keep on the straight and narrow. I am so appreciative of this because the gentleness of my Heavenly Father teaches me how to respond gently to others. Sadly I still have a long way to go in mastering the soft, gentle and thoughtful answer, but I praise God that He is so patient with me in my moments of mishaps.

There have been times in my life when correction or rebuke has been given and it was not given with a spirit of humility. Unfortunately, some of those moments have scared me for life. As deep of a scare that these moments have left, I am grateful for them because I have seen what a harsh, painful and careless word looks like, sounds like and feels like. These moments have made me more aware of my own words and just how quickly they can turn a rebuke into a scar in someone’s heart. Having gone through those moments have made me more conscious of how I approach correction in the lives of others.

“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20

We should not ignore the blatant disobedience of our brothers and sisters in Christ. When correction is needed it should be given because it will save them from death and the potential of more sin being piled on top of what is already in existence. Now, I am not talking about pointing a finger here. I am talking about lovingly restoring someone back to the feet of Jesus so that they can be in right relationship with their Heavenly Father. It should break our hearts when our brothers and sisters are willingly choosing sin over their relationship with the Lord. If it does not break our hearts that we really should take a look at our own heart because we might have something blocking up our relationship with the Lord.

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently…” Galatians 6:1

Scripture does not call us to be our brothers and sisters judge. That is not our job. That job belongs to God and God alone. We are, however, called to be our brothers and sisters keeper. We have a responsibility to watch over the doors of their hearts, but along with that responsibility comes a greater responsibility and that is to restore them back to the family of faith gently. But what does that look like exactly? What must we have in our hearts in order to administer correction to a brother or sister in Christ?

Four things we need to administer correction to someone’s heart

1.We need a  heart of humility.

I think one of the greatest things we can remember in moments when we need to restore a brother or sister in the faith, is this, we are no less guilty of sin then they are. When we remember that we are just as much a sinner in need of a savior as they are, it keeps our hearts in a place of humility. Only in humility is it a good time to approach someone to bring rebuke or correction. If we have any form of judgmental thoughts or feelings or think we are better off than they are, we have no business bringing any form of correction. When we approach others with a wrong spirit all that does is drive a wedge between our relationship with that person as well as drive a wedge into their relationship with their Heavenly Father. Our thoughts should always be focused on Romans 3:23. It is in this verse that we can remember that we are very much a part of that ALL that has fallen short of the glory of God.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

2. We need to be filled with kindness and compassion.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

We absolutely must approach others with a heart full and overflowing with kindness and compassion. If our hearts are not full of these things, it is going to be virtually impossible to deliver a rebuke with a gentle word. I must repeat myself here, we must have the right spirit in order for a gentle word to be delivered. If not, it will inevitably backfire right in our faces. I can not think of a single instance from my life where rebuke was delivered with kindness and compassion and I did not respond with a broken and contrite heart before the Lord. Kindness and compassion will make all the difference in being able to bring someone to the feet of Jesus with a repentant heart.

3. We need to speak in love.

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:15-16

When our words are spoken in love they become a support to others in the body, in other words, our loving words build up. This is the business God is in. God is building His kingdom in love and when we refuse to speak in love then our harsh, critical, and destructive words destroy God’s strategically placed infrastructure. We become nothing more than a pawn in the hands of the enemy at this point because we are in direct opposition to what the Lord is trying to do. The Lord is building in love and so should we.

4. We need the wisdom from the Lord.

We are never going to face every situation of correction with all of the answers. We need God’s supernatural wisdom. We need the kind of wisdom that we would never have unless the Lord so lovingly and graciously places it before us. So how do you get this type of wisdom in the moments when it is needed most?  James 1:5 tells us very clearly the answer to this question.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5

Our Lord gives generously. He doesn’t make excuses or give us 101 reasons why we can’t be given His abundant wisdom. He just gives generously to ALL. I love this because it means in those moments when we find ourselves backed up into a corner and unsure how to bring correction in a loving, kind and gentle way. The Lord will pour out His unending wisdom. All we have to do is simply ask! How awesome is this? Our God makes our most complex and baffling situations so simple. All we have to do is ask.

In the moments that we are faced with needing to bring correction, we can feel as if we are caught between a rock and a hard place. But we serve a God who has given us the tools we need to bring correction with humility, kindness, compassion, love and with His abundant wisdom.  Our God is never going to fail us. His word promises to be an “ever-present help in times of trouble.” (Psalms 46:1)

Lord, I thank you that you promise to be with us in those moments when correction needs to be given to a brother or sister. Help our hearts to stay in a place of humility, full and overflowing with kindness, compassion, and love. Fill us with your infinite wisdom when we truly don’t know what to do or to say in those difficult moments. We thank you that you are always available for us to run to. You never abandon us in our times of need. Thank you for being the God of all wisdom who gives generously to all without finding fault.

For more on Godly discipline and correction visit: A God Of Consequence

A Faith That Impresses Christ

Do you have the type of faith that catches God’s attention, the type of faith that impresses Christ? How about the type of faith that amazes Him? The Roman centurion did! When I read this story in Matthew 8:5-13 I was intrigued by the fact that Jesus was impressed by the faith of this centurion soldier. A centurion was a career military officer in the Roman army in charge of 100 men. At that time, Roman soldiers of any ranking were greatly abhorred by the Jewish people because they had a reputation for being harsh, cruel and oppressive.

“When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” Matthew 8:10

Jesus was impressed at this man’s faith. When I looked up "impress" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary it said "to affect especially deeply; to gain the admiration or interest of: to leave an imprint." Let's take this just a step further. This man did not just impress Christ, scripture used the word amazed. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of that word amazed as this…"to surprise and sometimes confuse (someone) very much: to fill (someone) with wonder.” Now, I don’t know that Jesus was surprised or confused by this man’s faith, but I do believe that this man’s faith filled Jesus with wonder. I believe this man impressed Christ. I believe that this man's faith left an imprint on the heart of Christ! Let’s stop here just for a moment and take a look at this example set before us. Jesus has openly stated that He has “not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” In other words, this man whom the Jews hated, one of their very own enemies, was being praised for his level of faith. Our Lord has a good sense of humor doesn’t He? Because He will often use the “foolish things of this world to shame the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:27). He used this centurion soldier as an example for the Jewish people of what great faith should look like.

What is Faith?

Christ knew that locked up inside the Jewish culture of that day was a people who had not surrendered their religious traditions to the Lord. They lived and died by the letter of the law. They did not live by faith. Jesus came to challenge their thinking on this topic and what better way to mess with their thinking on the subject of faith then to label the most unsuspecting candidate with “great faith.” It’s these types of “foolish things” that will break down our religious stereotypes of what we think faith in Christ looks like. This is what Christ was and is truly after. He was after the breaking of the religious walls that so many leaders had placed before their own eyes. They had built walls so high that they were unable to see the Son of God when He was walking right beside them in human flesh. How many of us are guilty of building up the same religious walls? I know I have put up a few myself only to have them torn down by the “foolish things of this world”. The Lord desires us to walk by faith and not by the letter of the law, not by our religious traditions. We can go to church on Sunday and “do church” but this is not faith. Faith is trusting in the dark what God has spoken in the light. Faith is believing that God is going to do the things he has promised to do even when it looks like we are walking in the complete opposite direction of those promises. Faith is trusting that God is going to remain true to His character no matter what circumstances we face.  

Let's get back to our example of the centurion soldier shall we. I tend to think it takes a lot to amaze Christ the Son of God, but if this centurion soldier can do it, then surely so can we! This man was not given any special supernatural dose of faith. He simply believed that Christ was capable of healing his servant. Is our faith in a a place that we believe Jesus is capable of doing the impossible in our lives and in the lives of those we hold close to our hearts? I know I waver in this area. I know when the rubber meets the road I often fall short in my faith when it comes to trusting Christ for the impossible to be in the realm of possibility. Let’s let our faith be built up today by the example of the centurion soldier. We ARE capable of walking in a realm of faith that impresses Christ. This type of faith is not beyond our reach. But it does require us to allow all the walls we have put up in our religious thinking to be destroyed for His honor and glory. It does require us to step out of our comfort zones and out of the boat from time to time only to walk on the water.  Faith requires us to live by what we can not see (2 Corinthians 5:7) and do the things that are only possible with God (Matthew 19:26). Inside each of us is a faith that has the ability to rise up and do the impossible.

What Impresses Christ?

We can not win Christ over by our good works or our well stated words, although these things each have their place. Christ is after something much deeper here. It's the very thing that the centurion soldier had. The very thing that moves Christ to a realm of amazement, the very thing that leaves an imprint on the heart of Christ is our faith in action. This centurion soldier not only had faith, but he acted upon his faith. He sought out Jesus, the only one who could heal his servant from the bonds of sickness. When we couple faith with action, it moves the heart of Christ. Peter would have never walked on water if he had faith to do so yet stayed in the boat. The woman with the issue of blood would never have gotten healed if she sought out Jesus yet did not have faith that He could heal her. Faith and action go hand in hand. It is our faith that is acted upon that brings the heart of Christ to action on our behalf. What thing in your life are you believing God for? Have you partnered your faith with action, or are you just sitting back and believing only? Are you actively seeking out Christ or are you still sitting in the boat waiting for Christ to do the miracle? Speaking from experience, I have found myself in this cycle of having faith but no actions, and worse yet having actions, but no faith. I do the very thing Christ is calling me to do but the whole time I am doubting His ability to do His part. James calls this “double minded.” It is this double mindedness that causes us to be unstable in all we do. So let’s pull from scripture today the importance of pairing our faith with our actions in order to have the kind of faith that impresses Christ, the kind of faith that leaves an imprint on his heart, the kind of faith that amazes Him.  

Lord, thank you for this example of the centurion soldier. Thank you that you desire for our faith to grow in such a way that it can impress you. Thank you that we ARE capable of attaining such a level of faith that we can move you to amazement. Help us in those moments when we want to stay in the boat to remember that sometimes you are looking for our obedience through faith in order for the miracle of walking on water to take place. Help us to remember your steadfast character in those moments when we are wavering in our faith. Help us to remember that you keep your promises despite what we may see around us, despite how bad we think our circumstances may be, you are a God who keeps His word.    

To read more related posts: Fireproof Christians, Jesus In Our Boat, The Example Of Esther, My By Faith Shoes, Leap Of Faith, Blind Faith, Facing Our Giants, Our Voice of Action

Who Am I?

I saw the following list floating around Facebook about a year ago and I found it so intriguing I decided to copy it down and keep it in the back of my mind as a reminder of who God says I am. I must apologize I do not know who to give credit to for this list, or even where to find the original post that came across my feed, but I did want to share it’s contents with you today. It blessed my heart so much and I only pray that it blesses your heart as well.

You Say… God Says…

I can’t figure it out I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I am too tired I will give you rest (Matthew 11:20-30)

It’s impossible All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

Nobody loves me I love you (John 3:16)

I can’t forgive myself I forgive you (Romans 8:1)

It’s not worth it I will be worth it (Romans 8:28)

I’m not smart enough I will give you wisdom (James 1:5)

I’m not able I am able (2 Corinthians 9:8)

I can’t go on My grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I can’t do it You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)

I can manage I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)

I’m afraid I have not given you fear (2 Timothy 1:7)

I feel alone I will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5)

How often do we look at ourselves in mirror and rehearse these exact words, or similar words to ourselves? I know I am guilty of letting these very thoughts fly freely and unchecked inside my mind only to find myself desperately trying to wrangle them in so that they don’t completely talk me out of who God says I truly am. As we can clearly see the words we say and think do not remotely line up with the way God thinks about His precious people. We are His beloved (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are created in His image (Genesis 1:27). We were made to bring honor and glory to His name (Revelation 4:11). He loves us more than words can even express (1 John 3:1). We must not doubt these things. When we take God at His word, His word will take us to heights we have never been, through valleys we would never have been able to walk though otherwise, and through waters that were never meant to be crossed by any human.

So Who Am I?

Scripture is very clear on who we are in Christ. I love that we can go straight to God’s everlasting word and find our identity, especially in the times we live in when the culture around us is trying to tell us what we should believe, how we should think, and who we are supposed to be. Our culture does not line up with God’s word. In fact, it is preaching the complete opposite of who God says we are in Him.

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17

We are children of God, and in being called His children, this makes us heirs. We inherited all the benefits and all the promises of His kingdom! Nothing is left out! We are not given a partial inheritance here, but rather, the entire inheritance! Nothing is withheld from those who truly surrender their lives to the Lord. This is so mind blowing because God’s kingdom is limitless and His promises are beyond measure

“...Instead, I have called you friends....” John 15:15

We are friends of Christ. He loves us just as His friend! So often we view God on His throne ruling over us in His great authority, like a militant king.  But He loves us like a friend! How awesome is this! We truly serve a God who cares about His people.

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14

We are forgiven! We have forgiveness in Christ! Please know that this forgiveness is given freely, but it also comes with a price tag called humility and repentance. We must humble ourselves and lay our sins at the feet of Jesus. Christ can not and will not forgive sin that we refuse to bring to Him with a humbled heart that is ready for change. When we walk in forgiveness we will reap so many other benefits!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

We are set free! We no longer have to live in the chains that we once found ourselves bound in. We can live in the freedom that Christ brings to our souls! This freedom does however, come at a price. We must be willing to stand firm and not walk back to the things that once bound us. When we turn our backs on the sin that once entangled us, freedom comes to our spirit  through Christ, but freedom can not stay if we decide to put the chains of bondage back on. True repentance and forgiveness is key to walking in freedom. Yes, this requires much work. It requires much sacrifice on our parts, but it is work and sacrifice that is well worth the effort when we are able to walk in God’s perfect freedom.

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” Romans 6:6

We are no longer a slave to sin. This does not mean we will never sin, but  it does mean that we have the power to overcome sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. In order to stay in this place of no longer being a slave to sin, we must walk in true repentance and forgiveness. These again are keys in no longer being in bondage to our sin nature.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

We are God’s workmanship. We are specifically created by the hands of God for a very special purpose while we are here on earth. Each of us are uniquely designed by the almighty artist Himself. Each and every facet of our being has been planned out, strategically thought out and perfectly orchestrated with special attention to each and every little detail. God did not make any mistakes. We may miss the mark from time to time, but God in His infinite wisdom did not miss the mark in creating us, not even once! Oh, how reassuring that is to my spirit! I pray that it resonates with your spirit as well.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

We are a chosen people. Just as we are God’s workmanship, we are also his chosen people. We are a people set apart. We are called to declare the praises of the Lord. We are called to proclaim His transforming miracle working power in our lives to all who will listen. Each one of us has a story to tell. We once were lost, but now we are found (Luke 15:32). We once were blind, but now we can see (John 9:25). We once walked in darkness, but Christ brought us into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). So let us not be ashamed of the one who chose us to declare His praises.

Next time you have negative thoughts swirling around inside your mind. Please pull out God’s word and be reminded of just who you are in Him. Those negative thoughts are simply the enemy trying to weasel his way into your heart and distract you from the beautiful plans and purposes that God has for your life. Remember to rehearse who God says you are. God will often see us completely opposite of how we view ourselves. When we rehearse our identity in Christ, we will see God’s beautiful purpose begin to flow out of us.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you see us so differently than we often see ourselves. Sometimes we can be so critical of ourselves. You are quick to pour out your love and freedom upon our lives through Jesus Christ. Thank you that our identity does not come from the culture around us. Thank you that your standard does not change like the standards of this world. People are always changing their minds about what is true and right, but you are steadfast and unchangeable. Your mind does not waver about us. Your thoughts always look upon us with love and uplifting encouragement. You desire for us to rise up on wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, and to walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:3). We give you all the honor and glory that you deserve! Thank you precious Lord for giving us our identity!  

For more encouraging posts see: You Have Purpose, You Are A Masterpiece, You Are A Masterpiece (Part 2), You Are Royalty, Our Beautiful Minds, Beauty Traits

Can I lay My Isaac Down?

I want us to think of the one thing we hold more dear to our hearts than anything else in this world. Is that one thing our husbands, our children,our house or some other material possession? What If God asked us to give that very thing up to Him? Would be able to lay it all down at His feet with a willing heart or would we fight God for it?

Abraham's Story

Most of us are familiar with Abraham’s story of Isaac. Here we have a man who had been promised this son and it wasn’t until he was 100 years old that he saw this long awaited promise finally come to pass. Now, all of the sudden God was asking Abraham to give up the very thing he had waited his entire lifetime to get, something he treasured probably more than his own life.

The faith that Abraham possessed was wrapped up in the fact that God was going to stay true to his promise. God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4), that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore (Genesis 15:5 & Genesis 22:17). In remembering this promise Abraham could walk forward in faith knowing that Isaac's life would not end before this promise would come to pass. God would and always will stay faithful to His promises. To read God’s covenant with Abraham go to Genesis 15:1-21.

Am I able to lay down my most prized and cherished thing, my Isaac? Am I able to trust God enough that when I am asked to give up my Isaac that God is going to stay true to His promises? These are some tough questions to consider and I find it difficult to even begin to imagine putting myself in Abraham’s shoes. I’m sure some of you can relate to the hesitancy I have in my own mind about this whole area.

My Husband's Story
My husband shared with me how God had brought him to a place where he could lay down his Isaac. He shared how he was able to relate on so many levels to Abraham when I faced life and death from my stroke. God brought my husband to a place where he was no longer afraid of giving up his most precious belongings for the sake of Jesus Christ. My stroke was such a blessing in the fact that it caused him to rely more on his God then on the temporal things of this life. My husband’s faith grew through that season of our lives. So just like Abraham, my husband came to a place of being able to lay down his “Isaac” and trust that God knew better than he did.

My Story
I had an interesting moment that helped me to see a slight glimpse into whether or not I could lay my own Isaac down.  My husband being the forward thinker that he is, decided it would be a good idea to get the insurance plan on my engagement ring. This means that every six months I have to take my ring to the jewelers and for an inspection. As long as I do this the insurance stays valid and we do not have to pay extra for the cost of any repairs, even if I would lose a diamond out of it. Thank goodness for this because I have had  my ring fixed several times over the years. One of these particular times that I had it repaired, I went to pick it up. I took one look at it and stated “This isn’t my ring.” The woman behind the counter became flustered and assured me she would track down my ring. My husband and I walked out of the store and talked about the situation that had just transpired right in front of us. The conclusion we had come to was that it is only a piece of metal and a rock, a material thing. Not having the ring did not erase the precious memories I have associated with it. It just meant I did not have the tangible evidence on my finger that is linked with those memories.

Ever since that whole experience I have looked at everything I own in a very different light. All that I possess is simply temporal. I could lose all of it tomorrow. Am I putting my trust in the Lord that He will carry out His promises in my life, or am I clinging to my Isaac and not being willing to let go? For those of you who are still wondering at this point if I ever get my ring back, yes I did. The diligent woman at the jewelry store tracked down my ring very quickly and it was back on my finger in no time. Now, I realize that there is no comparison between laying down a ring and laying down the life of your child or family member, but sometimes the Lord works on our hearts in steps rather than taking us to the altar to lay it all down all at one time, and other times He asks for it all. This just happened to be one of those “small steps” times for me.

The Lord's Story
When the Lord asks us to lay down our Isaac down, please keep in mind that He is not asking us to do anything He has not already done Himself in this department. God laid His one and one and only Isaac down for our sake. His name is Jesus Christ. So, the next time the Lord is knocking at the door of our hearts and asking us to give up something we hold dear, remember that He has already done that too.

Lord, I thank you that you have our best interests at heart. I thank you that you desire us to lay our Isaac down, not to make us suffer, but make us more like you each and every day. You laid down your Isaac in the form of Jesus Christ. Thank you for setting the ultimate example of what it looks like to lay down our Isaac. We are so grateful that you laid Him down for us, because without Him we would never have the promise of eternal life. Thank Lord for all you have done for us.  

To read more related posts visit: Facing Our Giants and The Faithfulness Of God