Whose Job is it Anyway?

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:14-16

The thought occurred to me the other day, and it’s something that I’ve talked with my dear friend Holly about, of: how often do we hinder the process of reconciliation and restoration for people because of our judgment of them? This is not meant as an attack on the Church or anything like that, but more just a chance for some introspection, as people who love God. When our “brother slips”, do we-in our minds-ever allow them to come into view as who they were before? Or does the fact that we have a tendency to label people with their short-comings affect their process of reconciliation? If God instructs us to “enter the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”, do we make it easier or harder for that to be done in how we treat people who’s sin has been exposed; or for people we assume have “fallen away”?

In a practical sense, I help out in a youth group, and it’s common to have students who slip in and out. The fire is on, and then it’s not. I guess I’ve just had a little conviction in the sense of being on the receiving end of the “I just want God’s best for you” in how I’d like to deal with the ones who have disappeared for seasons. Because, does always reminding someone of how they’ve “slipped out of God’s best” really help them find a place of grace and healing? If reminding them of where they need to be always requires reminding of them of how they’ve come up short, is that really a picture of grace?

If God is a righteous judge, and he’s saying enter the throne of grace with confidence I would hope that we, as people who trust Him, would be able to keep our judgments to ourselves and not project those on people and cap them at “fallen away”, never allowing them to be more than just that-fallen.

Because, if we aren’t able to sympathize with them of being in a place of brokenness and sin and look on them with love-wouldn’t that cause them to feel the need to please us more than the need to find God’s healing? And in return slow the chance for restoration.

A friend loves at all times. Not just when the other person has it together. So, how does reminding them they don’t have it together help them get to where they need to be?

It’s only through God’s presence that change occurs. It’s only through his blood that forgiveness is found. It wasn’t through a sacrifice that we had to make that our friend could find wholeness again. I’m not saying don’t call your brother out when you know they’re being stupid. But once that’s done rather than labeling them with that stupid, help them find that throne of grace. Help create a place where there can be confidence to enter that throne of grace without the constant reminder from you of why they’re there.Whose job is it anyway to heal and bring restoration?