Galatians 6
By Pastor Jerry
Search and Rescue
Catching someone as their life is coming apart appears to be one of our culture’s favorite pastimes. We can’t seem to get enough of someone else’s personal tragedy. The bad behavior of public people is the stuff comedians build their monologues around. Today’s reading from Galatians 6 says, “We reap what we sow” and there are plenty of examples to fill blogs and chat rooms indefinitely.
Harsh judgment of others is the norm. Their bad behavior seems to justify the evaluation. There are even reality TV shows whose whole theme is to ambush and humiliate people as they are caught in the act of some shameful behavior. While this may be the standard operating procedure for the world around us, it should be foreign to believers in Jesus. Paul makes it clear that if someone is caught in sin, their restoration should be our goal. Rather than a harsh evaluation, our hearts should be broken by someone’s tragic fall from grace.
Paul says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” One of the key words is “gently.” I don’t know what comes to your mind when you think of the word gentle, but if you identified it with being weak, you would be mistaken. To be gentle is to have power that is kept under control. The other key word is “humility.” Notice the warning, “Watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” When we recognize that under different circumstances we could be the one in need of rescue, we can then be used by God as his agent of restoration, or as the old saying goes, “But for the grace of God that could be me.”
As you read today’s passage, commit to God to join his search and rescue team. Is there someone close by who could benefit from a gentle, humble attempt at restoration?
