Don't Get Caught in the Net
I remember watching my parents seining for minnows. We would stop at several small creeks on the way to a weekend of fishing. My job was to
grab the flipping, flapping minnows and put them in the open minnow bucket that
was manned by my brother and sister. I would watch as my dad slowly brought his
end of the net around toward the creek bank and the space within the net got
smaller and smaller until finally the net scooped the fish out of the water and
onto the bank. My parents would caution us, " don't get caught in the net" and to "pull gently, you don't want to tear the net."
Gently, Gently
We have to be careful when we are
helping someone who is caught in sin. We have to gently guide them back to our
Heavenly Father, BUT we have to be careful to not get caught in the net
ourselves. Helping a struggling brother or sister requires us to be on firm
spiritual ground ourselves. We have an enemy who would love to see us get
caught up in the sin net and unwittingly end up leaving the restoring waters of
our spiritual relationship with Jesus.
Where Do You Draw the Line?
A friend who lost a job, a spouse, a child, or a home. An acquaintance, a coworker, or a church member with addiction issues. Where do you draw the line between helping and enabling? This is a question that I have had to ask myself repeatedly over the years. Anytime I feel out of my depth(no pun intended), it is time to refer our sin caught friend to a professional.
Brethren, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Galatians 6:1 NIV
Great message! ♥
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