Read: Matthew 18:15-18, Proverbs 27:5-6, Eph. 4:25-26These verses are reassuring to me after meditating on yesterday's devotion about grace. In these, I think God is telling us that we can give "tough love" to others - approaching them humbly, gracefully, but sternly about their misstep. I think it's even helpful in the Matthew passage that God gives us clear steps on how far to go, and even says after you've exhausted all options, you can eventually say, enough is enough.
God tells us many times to rebuke others. To not do so is to give people only grace and no truth. It enables people to remain immature. God is very serious about his people growing up in him. Does God want you to allow others to do whatever they want to? How does accountability and revenge differ?
These particular verses also reassure me that as a Christian, I can - and should - have a backbone and not allow the repeat offenses (that I wrote about yesterday) take place.
I also think that knowing that God calls us to rebuke each other, even to the extent of elevating the problem to other witnesses and the church builds in our sense of accountability to each other. I think accountability differs from revenge in that accountability comes from a place of love, whereas revenge comes from a place of hate.
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