Respnding with Kindness or with Truth - Job 5-7 and Acts 8:1-25
Many times when someone is having problems and pain our first reaction is to fix the problem. We think that will stop the pain from getting worse. We think that is the best thing to do. This can be the wrong response. We must discern the reason for the problems and the pain. Then, we can know how to respond.
As we understood from yesterday's reading in Job, he was in heavy grief. His friend, Eliphaz, tried to help him by explaining why he was suffering. This did not help Job. He did not need truth at this point. Job needed kindness. The reason for this is really very simple. Job did not sin to cause the suffering. That is true in a lot of instances. Life includes a lot of suffering and pain that is not caused by sin. In those cases, we should be ready to come alongside the other person and comfort them with great kindness. Then, once they have received the comfort of the Lord, they will be ready to move forward with a solution. The first thing we should say in this situation is "I love you, and I am so sorry that you are hurting." When the hurting person is assured of our love and sees our kindness, they begin to experience some relief. Of course, they need to look to the Lord for His comfort to totally heal them, but we are the agents of comfort from the Lord in many cases. (II Corinthians 1:3-7)
In Acts 8 we read about the great awakening in Samaria, when the believers were dispersed by the persecution and Philip began preaching there. Simon was a sorcerer, who became a Christian, but soon his heart was not right with God, because he coveted the power of the Holy Spirit for his own personal gain. He even tried to pay the apostles for the Spirit. Simon was way off base. He needed some truth, and that is what Peter gave him. I do not think that Peter spoke without kindness and compassion, but he did address the sin very clearly. Peter called for Simon to repent and to ask God to forgive him. That is the solution to a sin problem. It does not help to pity the person or to comfort them in their sin. We must speak the truth in love, when there is a sin problem.
That is the difference between these two situations. Job did not have a sin problem causing his pain. However, his friends assumed that there must be some sin they did not know about, and they tried to address it. They thought that would help Job. We must not assume there is sin. We must come to people with kindness, until we see there is a sin problem. Then, we can apply the correct truth to go with the sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 8-10 and Acts 8:26-40.
As we understood from yesterday's reading in Job, he was in heavy grief. His friend, Eliphaz, tried to help him by explaining why he was suffering. This did not help Job. He did not need truth at this point. Job needed kindness. The reason for this is really very simple. Job did not sin to cause the suffering. That is true in a lot of instances. Life includes a lot of suffering and pain that is not caused by sin. In those cases, we should be ready to come alongside the other person and comfort them with great kindness. Then, once they have received the comfort of the Lord, they will be ready to move forward with a solution. The first thing we should say in this situation is "I love you, and I am so sorry that you are hurting." When the hurting person is assured of our love and sees our kindness, they begin to experience some relief. Of course, they need to look to the Lord for His comfort to totally heal them, but we are the agents of comfort from the Lord in many cases. (II Corinthians 1:3-7)
In Acts 8 we read about the great awakening in Samaria, when the believers were dispersed by the persecution and Philip began preaching there. Simon was a sorcerer, who became a Christian, but soon his heart was not right with God, because he coveted the power of the Holy Spirit for his own personal gain. He even tried to pay the apostles for the Spirit. Simon was way off base. He needed some truth, and that is what Peter gave him. I do not think that Peter spoke without kindness and compassion, but he did address the sin very clearly. Peter called for Simon to repent and to ask God to forgive him. That is the solution to a sin problem. It does not help to pity the person or to comfort them in their sin. We must speak the truth in love, when there is a sin problem.
That is the difference between these two situations. Job did not have a sin problem causing his pain. However, his friends assumed that there must be some sin they did not know about, and they tried to address it. They thought that would help Job. We must not assume there is sin. We must come to people with kindness, until we see there is a sin problem. Then, we can apply the correct truth to go with the sin.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 8-10 and Acts 8:26-40.