God does not change. But because we are all different, God will often deal with us differently. He knows where we are at, and he knows what we need. So he treats us accordingly. Sometimes he needs to discipline us, and other times he just wants us to bathe in his loving embrace.
And we should be doing this sort of thing with other believers. Simply put, sometimes we need to put our arm around a fellow Christian and shower him or her with love. But sometimes they might need a proverbial kick in the backside and the words, ‘Get your act together man!’
There is an old saying that fits in here. Evidently it was first said by a non-believer in another context, but a Christianised version goes like this: ‘The prophet [or pastor] is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.’ The application of this should be easy enough to see.
If a brother is living in known sin, and refuses to repent, and has hardened his heart, then he is far too comfortable, and he needs to be afflicted, or given a hard word. But some believers are so broken and wounded and hurting that they need a loving embrace, with or without words.
As we interact with other believers, we need to be sensitive to where they are at. We need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in terms of how we deal with one another. Cookie-cutter Christianity is not how this works because we are all individuals with differing needs and issues.
I say all this because I just came upon two short videos. They were very different in lots of ways. One of them was a much-needed word from a Christian leader, while the other was simply one of those animal videos. They both appeared in a social media page, with the one immediately following the other, so I watched both, and felt it was providential that they were both there and in that particular order.
The first was a strong and very important word for the church about how we need to stop playing games with God. With another Christian leader overseas caught out, this time with the abuse of members, this speaker said that God is intent on cleaning up his church and doing a real thorough heavenly housecleaning.
God has always wanted the Bride of Christ to be spotless and without fault. We have fallen so far short, and God is bringing to light just where more and more Christians – especially leaders – are at. Such public scandals are always painful, but they are necessary.
Indeed, I have been praying daily for four such Christian leaders and their families who have been impacted by this in recent times. Their families and followers are certainly hurting right now, but more importantly, and worse yet, is how we drag God’s name through the mud so often. So this short video was much-needed, and one that I must hear.
But instantly after that, I watched the next video. It was about a dog who had been chained up for four years by a callous owner, and in various ways was abused, even if just by being locked up all the time. But thankfully a new owner got the dog and treated it SO very differently.
And of course with so many years of neglect and inattention, it took a while for this dog to know how to respond when for the first time in its life it was shown real love, care and affection. Eventually the dog warmed up to all the love and devotion. Eventually the old wounds began to heal and soon enough she was playful, happy and at ease with humans.
This video was also much-needed, and one that I needed to watch. So many of us do carry so many wounds and scars. So many of us are still so broken and trying to slowly grow and improve. We might even have been Christians for many decades, but we still have issues that we need to deal with. We still have old hurts that need to be healed.
So I was thankful to have seen both videos, and believe that it was not just a mere coincidence that they were placed together as they were. It was a God thing. Upon seeing these two short videos, two passages immediately popped into my mind, both from the book of Romans.
The first is Romans 2:4 which says: “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” And the second is Romans 11:22: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”
These and other such texts show us the full picture of who God is. He is holy, but also loving. He is not to be trifled with, but he also is gracious to us. He hates sin and will take steps to deal with it in our lives, but he also cares for us tenderly and lovingly. At times we might need more of the one than the other. And as mentioned, that is how we should treat one another.
We need the wisdom, discernment and Spirit’s leading to know when to deal more harshly with someone, and when we should be softer with someone. God knows what we each need, and when we need it. We need to discern that as we deal with others.
And this applies to us as well. When we listen to a sermon, read Christian literature, or even read the Bible, we need to ask God to highlight that which he wants for us. Two different Christians listening to the same sermon might get two quite different things out of it.
Different believers might get quite different things out of a book by John Bunyan, C. S. Lewis, or Paul Washer. And the same biblical text might impact us in different ways. We are all different, so we need to always ask God what he is trying to say to us.
Sometimes we need to treat a sermon or Christian podcast like a fish dinner: we eat the meat but leave the bones. A book or Christian message that really spoke to you just might leave me cold. Or a message or passage that did not really touch you years ago might now all of a sudden come alive.
Again, we not only differ from one another, but we are at differing places in our own Christian walks. So on the one hand, we might need to be hard on ourselves: ‘Hmm, everyone else is being blessed by this, but not me. Why is that?’ But on the other hand, we might need to be easier on ourselves. Others might be running with a hard word or a stern message, but perhaps God has you at a somewhat different place at the moment.
Sure, all this can be used as an excuse: ‘Oh, that word is for everyone else, but it is not for me.’ We need to be careful that we do not neglect to hear what God is trying to tell us, however he speaks, whether through his Word, a sermon, or the advice of a Christian friend. “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1).
But the moral of the story is this: Our Lord IS the Great Physician. He knows when we might need some radical, deep, and at times painful spiritual surgery. But he does it because he loves us, and he knows what is best for us. And at other times he might just want us to experience his gentleness, tenderness, and goodness.
And the truth is, the two really can go together. Even when he afflicts us or chastises us, it is because he loves us. As we read in Psalm 119:75: “I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” Or as it says in Hebrews 12:5-6 (quoting from Proverbs 3:11-12):
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
For more on some of these themes, see these three pieces:
In sum, I am thankful that both videos were put up. While some believers might need one more than the other, there is a real sense in which all of us need BOTH, and simultaneously.
