Living in Community - 5

Yesterday, our first "date" in two months.

Picking up where we left off in Galatians 6:

3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important Carrying a prideful spirit that looks down on another usually comes across as very judgmental. The observations of the confrontation may be accurate but if ministered in pride, the value is nada, nyet, of negative value.

. 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
The Godly confrontation process has taken a 90 degree turn, from pointing out what needs to be changed in the other person to focusing on carrying the other’s burden. The spotlight now is facing oneself.

Fred was encouraged to come to grips with his own issues and process them Biblically. The temper had to begin to see a shift to patience and gentleness. Selfishness must be faced and “killed.” The drastic change the women saw in Fred softened their hearts toward him. Later , when he did talk to them about the burden they carried, they felt that he was really with them and caring for them. The confrontation, ministered from a stance of humility and gentleness, bore much fruit. Even Fred’s passive dad spent more quality time at home. It was now a pleasant place in which to reside.

In summary, productive confrontation as seen in Galatians 6 begins within a Body of Believers when the person doing the confronting first faces him(her) self. The humility and gentleness in which the concerns are shared is derived from healthy self-examination that produces repentance and from a desire to help carry the burden of the one confrontred. No room for a judgmental spirit in that scenario.

What would have happened to the three women if they had not responded to fred? Proverbs 13:18 presents the case clearly: Poverty and shame shall be to him who refuses instruction and correction, but he who heeds reproof shall be honored. In our case study “poverty and shame” would be connected to impaired relationships… not just with Fred but people in general.

Fred's counselor gave him homework. That's for the next post.