Luke 17:3
So be careful what you do. Correct any followers of mine who sin, and forgive the ones who say they are sorry.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When my niece was little and did something she shouldn’t, she would start saying, “Sorry! Sorry!” The young child of a friend of mine misbehaved continually one afternoon, despite threats of a spanking if he didn’t stop. When he hurdled the couch and knocked over a lamp, his mother grabbed a wooden spoon, and he said, “No thank you, Mommy. I don’t want a spanking!” He got a swat anyhow!
Children often believe that simply uttering the words “Sorry! Sorry!” can make all of their troubles go away. The little son of my friend thought adding “No, thank you!” would do the trick. And yes, as we age, we still hear “Sorry!” from people who don’t truly mean it or find these words a quick means to an end to their dilemma.
But there are many cases where we are not authorized to judge. We must accept that the person offering an apology is truly repentant, and forgive them. We must also gently correct – again, we’re not judging – those who we see going down the wrong path. So when you see your friends headed off to a party where there will be underage drinking, you should remind them that this is illegal activity… and refuse to go along! When you are with someone who has had too much to drink and cannot drive, you must take their keys and help them get an alternative ride home.
When you find out that someone said something unkind about you or a family member, and the person says, “I’m sorry… I was wrong,” you must forgive them and trust that this is the truth. When someone tells you, “I’ll never do that again,” you must accept their pledge, even if you suspect it won’t hold.
This is hard. We have to walk purely in faith as we accept the apologies of others and offer forgiveness. But it is not our place to judge them… or their sincerity. It is only our responsibility to operate in love and forgiveness… and let God handle the rest. And I know that we have all seen people doing stupid things or behaving badly, and we want to yell and scream at them and ask, “What were you thinking?” But this is not our job, either. We are supposed to offer “correction” – but only in the manner of positive alternatives… not admonition.
Instead of asking “Why don’t you get up and get a job or get to class?” we must say, “I noticed that So-and-so is hiring, and I think you would be a great fit!” or “I know you want to accomplish big things in your lifetime, and going to class shows that you are serious about it!” We must not chastise our friends and neighbors who don’t come to church… we must tell them, “We miss you, and we’d love to see you there soon.” With every fiber of our being, we may want to tell someone “You are acting like a fool!” But God wants us to offer constructive alternatives and gentle redirection toward more positive outcomes.
I’m not offering you pie-in-the-sky, airhead thoughts here. I’m telling you what the Bible says in Luke 17:3… and other scripture passages. We’ve elevated ourselves to a position of Judge and Jury, and that is not our job as Christians! When Luke says “be careful what you do,” he could have easily said, “Watch who you judge and how you correct others!” Talk to God about this. Ask Him to guide your heart… your thoughts, words and actions. Be sure you do exactly what He wishes… and leave the rest for Him to handle.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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