Hello ,

According to Major David Dixon, recently retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, from Day 1 every Marine is taught to live a life worthy of a Marine. They're also taught to hold one another accountable to that standard of excellence. Dixon says,

If the Marine next to you is falling asleep in class, you must have the moral courage to wake him up and motivate him to stay awake. If you are caught sleeping in class at boot camp, not only do you get in trouble for laziness, but the Marine to your left and to your right get in trouble for lack of moral courage because they should have corrected you when you were in the wrong.*

What does the phrase "moral courage" mean when it comes to the way we Christians deal with one another.  It's one thing to congratulate someone and distribute soothingly smooth words, but what about when we have to sit someone down and share something a little tougher in the area of "accountability" with them?  Does God's word give us a free pass in that area, or do we have good counsel regarding how we deal with one another?  It does have good counsel on this subject, and there is a three-step process that God asks us to take when dealing with someone who is erring:

1.  Don't judge someone's motives. We may think we know why someone has done something, but we rarely understand all the reasons, or the background that they have experienced that helped shaped who they are.  God has not given us the right to judge others motives, and it's something that we need to ask Him to help us keep a pure direction in dealing with others. "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Matthew 7:1-2

2. "Weed" your own "Garden" first.  The scriptures are clear that when we approach someone, we should first engage in a spiritual assessment of ourselves.  It can be difficult to do, but unless we are careful, our humanity can take over and we can begin to feel superior to the one who is struggling. Spiritual pride is an insidious thing, and it can effect anyone who is not fully connected with how they personally struggle in their own spiritual journey.  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:3-5

3. Restore.  As a pastor, I have personally watched people participate in pointing out someone's faults to them, but I have rarely witnessed someone doing that in a quiet, non-condemning way with the person who is at fault.  We need to be SO careful here. The person that we are approaching is God's creation, and Christ died for them.  That makes them VERY special, and worth the "extra mile" that we will take in approaching them with Christian kindness.  Restoration is the goal that God wants to attain with everyone.  "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Galatians 6:1

God has such a good plan in dealing with those who are struggling around us, and if this plan were followed every time by every Christian, we would see amazing results in the family of God.  

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word