Gentle Correction

Gentle Correction

2 Timothy 2: ²² Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help. ²³ But keep away from foolish and ignorant arguments; you know that they end up in quarrels. ²⁴ As the Lord's servant, you must not quarrel. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, ²⁵ who is gentle as you correct your opponents, for it may be that God will give them the opportunity to repent and come to know the truth. ²⁶ And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.

 

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Being insecure and tired of being pushed around was a bad combination for me. On one hand, I had run into my share of bullies on the other, I ran into my share of mean people who called me names. I decided to fight back against aggressive and passive aggressive bullies.

 

• I armed myself with physical strength to fight overt bullies.
• I listened to passive aggressive jabs and was ready for a retort against covert bullies.
• I was always ready to “defend” “my” territory, “my” reputation and “my” actions.

 

Paul warns Timothy not to quarrel. He knew that fighting would get Timothy nowhere. He appeals to him as “the LORD’s servant” to be a kind, good and patient teacher who gently corrects. He then gives the reason. Because GOD may have them repent.

 

My Observations

• I did not trust GOD to handle my battles, BUT HE wants to.
• I did not believe that GOD cared about me enough to work out my quarrels, BUT HE wants me to be different.
• I thought I needed to correct everyone so he or she could see the LORD, but I was wrong, it takes gentleness and GOD’s leading to bring people to HIM.

 

Impatience mixed with correction wins a battle and loses the war. I mean, I have lost my cool with my family, friends and neighbors and could not mention JESUS to them. This is a tragic loss. BUT GOD says to me, “There is another way.”

 

HE wants me to try something different. Instead of winning the battle, HE wants me to focus on the war, namely having each member of my family truly believe in JESUS and HIM equipping each to proclaim HIM in a glorifying way. I have to be secure in my relationship with JESUS to allow opposition to HIS ways and be patient and gentle so HE can win them over. I will gladly learn gentleness in exchange for the souls of people I encounter.

 

Challenge

• What does the writer say about being “combative?”
• Have you ever been right and could not wait to win “this” fight?
• Will you stop quarrelling and let GOD move that person towards HIM by your gentle, patient corrections, knowing HE could save him or her from the “Devil’s trap” in HIS time?

Agreement

Agreement

1 Timothy 5: You must teach and preach these things. ³ Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion ⁴ is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant arguments from people whose minds do not function and who no longer have the truth. 

 

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Hearing what the other department was saying, I immediately came up with my rebuttal. After my argument was presented to management, the other department leader came back with a counter argument. This went on for a while. Finally, management told us to get ourselves together because we were getting nowhere!

 

• I was ready to argue.
• I was ready to fight.
• I got myself prepared with one side of the argument.

 

Paul warns Timothy to stick to the doctrine of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. He also warns that there will be those who believe in and teach a different philosophy to address life’s problems.

 

My Observations

• Instead of arguing, GOD wants me to simply believe in JESUS.
• Instead of getting tripped up by life’s issues, GOD wants me to focus on JESUS as the answer.
• Instead of wondering if a human philosophy is working or correct, GOD wants me to teach about JESUS.

 

JESUS is the way the truth and the life. HE says this. This means to me, that I need HIM to have a relationship with GOD the FATHER. The things I learn must align to this belief, otherwise I could be tempted to follow something that seems right, but may be tearing me away from GOD.

 

I may even gather more facts that back up my stance, but if these facts leave GOD out of the equation, they are not facts at all. I gladly give up on things that do not agree with the fact that JESUS loved me enough to die for me and is now alive provide me with eternal life.

 

Challenge

• What does the writer say about those who do not believe in the doctrine of JESUS?
• Do you feel you need to argue and fight over something?
• Will you soften your heart and allow GOD to come into your life so HE will teach you the truth and help you teach others about the love of JESUS today?

No Need to Argue

No Need to Argue

Philippians 1: ¹⁵ Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will. ¹⁶ These do so from love, because they know that God has given me the work of defending the gospel. ¹⁷ The others do not proclaim Christ sincerely, but from a spirit of selfish ambition; they think that they will make more trouble for me while I am in prison.

 

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“Did you see the email!?” I said to a friend in an offended way. There was a scripture mention that raised a huge debate. We went back and forth, adding point and counterpoint. To this day, I do not know what we argued over, and now I don’t even remember the guy’s name.

 

• I was offended easily when I heard something that did not align to “my” thinking..
• I was ready to “argue” about scripture.
• I was a self-proclaimed defender of the scriptures.

 

Paul addressed a touchy subject, namely motive of speaking about JESUS. Some people saw Paul was getting attention and, out of jealousy, spoke the name of JESUS too. Combative quarrelsome motive with the ambition to be noticed or right made more trouble than peace.

 

My Observations

• Love is the motive GOD wants me to have in my relationship with HIM.
• Peace is the offering GOD wants me to give to HIS creation.
• Joy is what GOD wants me to carry during troubled times so others can come to HIM in spite of their circumstance.

 

Fighting over who is right about GOD is futile. I mean, not one of us is right about GOD. There is no one who seeks HIM. BUT GOD did something amazing. HE sought us. HE became a human, died for us and was raised from the dead. I’m talking about JESUS. HE did not do this to cause fights about HIM, rather because HE loved us dearly.

 

Unfortunately, HE knew HIS message of love would split families, communities and churches. Arguments, jealousy and bitterness grows, BUT so does HIS love. GOD’s grace is sufficient and HIS anger is slow. I am grateful GOD is patient with me and gives me a chance to drop my combative spirit.

 

Challenge

• What reasons does the writer give for speaking about CHRIST?
• Have you ever argued over what someone else said or did?
• How are you proclaiming the message of CHRIST?
• Will you be the one who brings GOD’s peace and love to places that contain quarrels and combativeness today?

False Facts

False Facts

Acts 19: ³⁵ The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? ³⁶ Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. ³⁷ You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. ³⁸ If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. ³⁹ If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” ⁴¹ After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

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With passion, I quoted some information to a group. After many moments of arguing, someone pulled me to the side and said “The information you are quoting is wrong.” The person showed me the correct information and I was thoroughly embarrassed. I had to now, go and correct what I had passionately argued over.

• There were times when I wanted to be heard more than being right.
• There were times when I wanted to exert power, so I got into arguments.
• There were times when I quoted things as fact when they may not have been true.

An official of the city was finally able to quiet the rioting. But when he spoke, he told everyone about Ephesus being the guardian of the temple goddess Artemis and her relationship with heaven. He quoted this as an undeniable fact. The crowd dispersed, but what was heard?

• GOD wants me to learn about HIM.
• GOD wants me to understand HE is the only GOD.
• GOD wants me to speak the truth about JESUS being the one and only SON of GOD.

Being part of a group can sometimes outweigh telling the truth. I mean, when I feel empowered to speak “a” truth, it feels good to be validated by a local group. BUT GOD wants me to be brave enough to speak “the” truth.

GOD is the only GOD. There is no other. HIS SON, JESUS, along with the HOLY SPIRIT are inseparable, all knowing, all seeing and all powerful. HE revealed facts that cannot be refuted and JESUS’ return cannot be stopped. I am grateful for these facts in which I live my life by.

• What facts are you willing to die over?
• Are the facts you live by worth losing eternal life?
• Will you place your passion on JESUS versus manmade facts that conveniently change often?

Arguing for GOD is not my job

Psalm 83: ¹⁸ Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
    that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

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Sitting at the lunch table I engaged in the debate of GOD’s existence and why JESUS is of utmost importance. I wasn’t very equipped but tried to answer their hidden agenda questions. I fumbled through my answers. Another time a very known religious group rang my doorbell and challenged my knowledge of the Bible. I fumbled through my answers. “I know… I’ll go to Bible school so I can argue with these people” I said to myself, tired of getting beat up in these debates.

• At one time I used to think GOD needed me to prove HIS existence.
• At one time I used to think GOD needed me to argue what’s right and what’s wrong.
• At one time I used to think GOD needed me to debate with people with other “religious” views.

This chapter was extremely harsh in that the writer was asking for calamity of his enemies who laugh at GOD and mock HIM. It reminded me of the times I faced people who refused to turn their face to GOD and I felt I had to say something in HIS defense. Looking back I see it was my faith that was in question not theirs.

• GOD wants me to have enough faith in HIM to deliver a message of love rather than proving someone to be “wrong.”
• GOD wants me to have enough faith in HIM to plant seeds of love in people rather than arguing and proving them “wrong.”
• GOD wants me to have enough faith in HIM to allow people to be who they are and to open my mouth and say “I believe” and let that be enough.

GOD does not need me to prove HIS existence, nor does HE need me to prove JESUS, who is GOD, died for me. GOD wants my faith to rely in HIM and HE wants me to prove HIS existence through showing “love” for my neighbor. Once I stopped arguing I noticed a strange thing, people started asking questions about my relationship with GOD. HE delivered people to me to love and they now follow HIM because GOD draws people to HIMSELF.

• Do you feel you need to argue GOD’s existence?
• Do you need to debate the existence of demons and angels?
• Can you ask GOD if HE wants you to do that?
• Will you have the faith to open your mouth and simply say “I believe in GOD” rather than fighting?