Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:1-2
Sometimes the most powerful question is the one that you repeat. Ask someone once how they are and they will usually say good. Ask them a second time and they may dig a bit deeper and share how their week has been. Ask a third time and you are likely to get a deeper truth still. People are more open than we think, we just have to show that we care and are willing to help.
After my brother died people kept asking about him and how I was feeling. I wanted to honour their kindness by not shrugging it of but also not reopening a fresh wound in every conversation. I did that by sharing something positive about him - He was a great leader, he was very humble, he loved Jesus, etc. One friend who knew Luke well asked after him and I started sharing a little and within two seconds you could see his eyes start to look over my shoulder and his mannerisms change. He really didn’t want to talk about my brother. He was just being polite and I had misread it as care. I felt awkward and embarrassed for my vulnerability. When we ask, we have to be willing to help.
Paul tells us to care for one another with our sins. He says that we are to gently and humbly lead people back to the right path. This doesn’t mean to argue or to nag people. It means to make the time, to care deeply and to help them practically to overcome the battles in their lives. Ask people how they are really doing, pray for people, listen to them, support them, spend time walking alongside them, eat with them, invest into them. Do whatever is needed.
Of course, not everyone wants help. Not everyone wants to overcome the sin in their lives. This isn’t carte blanche to critique and force others to change. This is an invitation to provide those who want freedom with some vital support.
Don’t pretend to love people, really love them.
Amen.
