I was busy doing something “the other day”. Jonathan and Christopher were upstairs, playing trains. Jennifer, my then two-year-old, was following me around, chattering.
Suddenly, she announced, “I have to go check on my boys; they can’t be upstairs by themselves.”
I laughed. How cute she is!
But it suddenly struck me how frequently we do that! Consciously or sub-consciously we say, “Father, we can’t leave George alone! I need to go check on him.”
Now, I am in no way saying that we shouldn’t visit our brothers and sisters in Christ - just to vist, to encourage. What I am underlining is that feeling of superiority and authority that only two-year olds get towards their older siblings. At least, it is only two year-olds, isn’t it? We, as adults, as Christians, we would never adopt an attitude of superiority or authority towards another of God’s children, would we?
Unfortunately, I think we do - all too often.
Some time ago, our church split into several pieces. It was a strange event because we all like each other as people; we just disagree strongly in some doctrinal areas. Because I care about these people, I have been anxious about them. Without our stabalizing influence, what’s to prevent them from going further off into what I consider dangerous, heretical beliefs?
There’s a difficult line here. We, all of us, believe that what we believe is correct. We have scriptures to back up our positions. Yet sometimes those with whom we fellowship hold another view. Hopefully the love between us is such that we can share what we believe, gently. But once we’ve made our position known, as clearly as we can, if they are not willing to hear us, then what can we do? We have to trust that God is completely able to bring a prodigal back in Him time.
But what if they, the ones who’ve separated from us, are not wrong? What if we’re the ones who are diverging from the Truth? Unfortunately, that’s the uncomfortable definition of being deceived. You can’t be deceived if you know it’s wrong. It is Satan’s goal to deceive us - to draw us away from communion with our Father. So, although it is good and right to be concerned about the spiritual and physical welfare of our brothers and sisters in Christ, it must be done in love and humility, not in superiority and arrogance.
So, back to Jennifer. What did I tell my two year-old when she announced that she needed to check on her boys? I chuckled to myself and told her to go do it. I knew that the reality was she would go see what the boys were up to, but she didn’t have the authority to effect any sort of change in their behavior if they were not behaving.
And really, that’s what I just said about our church brethren too, isn’t it? I’m in no position of authority to effect a change in their beliefs or relationship with God.
If I send Jennifer to tell them to stop jumping on the bed, then she becomes a tool, carrying responsibility, but it’s only responsibility that I’ve given her. Similarly, if God moves me to talk with my brothers and/or sisters, I can carry God’s authority as expressed in the Bible. But it is God who brings us to repentance.
Suddenly, she announced, “I have to go check on my boys; they can’t be upstairs by themselves.”
I laughed. How cute she is!
But it suddenly struck me how frequently we do that! Consciously or sub-consciously we say, “Father, we can’t leave George alone! I need to go check on him.”
Now, I am in no way saying that we shouldn’t visit our brothers and sisters in Christ - just to vist, to encourage. What I am underlining is that feeling of superiority and authority that only two-year olds get towards their older siblings. At least, it is only two year-olds, isn’t it? We, as adults, as Christians, we would never adopt an attitude of superiority or authority towards another of God’s children, would we?
Unfortunately, I think we do - all too often.
Some time ago, our church split into several pieces. It was a strange event because we all like each other as people; we just disagree strongly in some doctrinal areas. Because I care about these people, I have been anxious about them. Without our stabalizing influence, what’s to prevent them from going further off into what I consider dangerous, heretical beliefs?
There’s a difficult line here. We, all of us, believe that what we believe is correct. We have scriptures to back up our positions. Yet sometimes those with whom we fellowship hold another view. Hopefully the love between us is such that we can share what we believe, gently. But once we’ve made our position known, as clearly as we can, if they are not willing to hear us, then what can we do? We have to trust that God is completely able to bring a prodigal back in Him time.
But what if they, the ones who’ve separated from us, are not wrong? What if we’re the ones who are diverging from the Truth? Unfortunately, that’s the uncomfortable definition of being deceived. You can’t be deceived if you know it’s wrong. It is Satan’s goal to deceive us - to draw us away from communion with our Father. So, although it is good and right to be concerned about the spiritual and physical welfare of our brothers and sisters in Christ, it must be done in love and humility, not in superiority and arrogance.
So, back to Jennifer. What did I tell my two year-old when she announced that she needed to check on her boys? I chuckled to myself and told her to go do it. I knew that the reality was she would go see what the boys were up to, but she didn’t have the authority to effect any sort of change in their behavior if they were not behaving.
And really, that’s what I just said about our church brethren too, isn’t it? I’m in no position of authority to effect a change in their beliefs or relationship with God.
If I send Jennifer to tell them to stop jumping on the bed, then she becomes a tool, carrying responsibility, but it’s only responsibility that I’ve given her. Similarly, if God moves me to talk with my brothers and/or sisters, I can carry God’s authority as expressed in the Bible. But it is God who brings us to repentance.
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