I wouldn’t do that if I were you.  Often the most unappreciated, hated and frankly entirely loving statement ever made by a friend, family member, pastor or colleague.  When someone cares about you enough to put themselves in the painful position of being the person who ushers you away from the edge, usually receiving anger, angst, recrimination and down right contempt, they are taking a chance that you may never forgive.  But that is what people who love us must do in order to save us from our own unwise actions, until such time that we have greater discernment.  This is especially difficult for more mature Christians dealing with new believers.  Often, though people have been saved by saying a prayer and putting their trust in Jesus Christ, they remain likely to rely on previous experience, understanding and “frankly” bad habits to make important decisions.  It is terrible to step into someone’s life and gently beckon them away from the precipice, but it is much worse to stand there and watch them in the pit of despair having not taken a moment to help them avoid disaster.

Responsibility is responsibility.  Please don’t go to the other extreme of the pendulum and assume that I am recommending to inject ourselves into every aspect or situation in the life of someone about to make poor decisions, for often the Lord will counsel you to step away and turn them over to His hands.  However, if we stand there and because we want to be liked or dislike conflict to the point where we watch our brothers and sisters fail miserably, when a kind word at the right timing could have helped them avoid chaos, then we have also failed.

This becomes especially difficult when dealing with anointed persons within the Church Body.  Many times Pastors, elders and senior members of the Church forget to watch their own steps and place themselves in danger of falling great distance.  For instance, are Churches being true to the direction of the Lord?  Are they caring for orphans, widows, the sick, impoverished and perishing within their own neighborhoods.  Have they adopted rituals that have nothing to do with keeping our lamps fueled and brightly shining the love of Christ in our cities?  Are they making sure that the sheep within the Church Body are safe, properly trained, fed and prepared for each of their own calling in ministry?  Are Pastors and elders encouraging Church members to “go out” into the world to find the lost and the lame so that they may be healed through the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are they allowing the Holy Spirit to guide sermons, worship and Church program decisions or have they compromised with the world to make sure they are financially sound business managers?  Is the menu guiding the preparation of Spiritual Food or is the Hunger for Spiritual Food guiding what is being served?

We owe it to each other to be gentle, honest, genuine and accountable in each of our Church bodies.  We owe it to each other to break down the barriers to service placed in our Churches by enemy desires to separate parts of the body via false misconceptions and unworthy doctrinal differences.  We owe it to each other to speak truth and love into the lives of our loved ones, often chancing their contempt when we see that people are walking in a manner inconsistent with the Glory that God has bestowed upon them through salvation.  We owe it to God to point out poisons, false teaching, immorality, questionable practices and slippery slopes to aid each other in avoiding temptation, backsliding and lackadaisical thinking associated with complacency and comfort.  We have a duty to each other to watch out for each sister and brother in Christ.  I would rather have you dislike me or hold me in contempt for pointing out a potential misstep then to watch you fall when I could have pointed out the hole before you’ve seen it.

Lord God please give us discernment to know precisely when to act and when to step back.  Give us near perfect understanding of our shared responsibility to each other.  Let us never violate the sanctity of relationship by showing actions inconsistent with the love we have for one another.  In the Name of Lord Jesus I pray.