The Daily Word: Tuesday, October 20th, 2020
Jeremiah 35:1-36:32
1 Timothy 5:1-25
Psalm 89:14-37
Proverbs 25:25-27
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger as sisters, with all purity. – 1 Tim. 5:1-2
People in your life will make mistakes. They will offend you! They might hurt you. They might say the wrong thing at the wrong time. But Scripture’s encouragement, even as we “rebuke” (i.e. correct) others, is to “exhort” them. Even as we tell people they messed up, our job is still to lift them up and encourage them!
Biblical conflict resolution means treating other people like family. Conflict is a powerful opportunity that can produce constructive change! But it must be used as a tool instead of a weapon. Stay pure, even in the midst of conflict! Do not give a foothold (Eph. 4:26-27) to the enemy. As you do, God will use you as a trusted representative to build His people up, even as the world tries to weigh them down.
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. – 2 Cor. 5:18-19
Prayer:
Father, thank You for building me up! I am so grateful to You for Your constant kindness and love. Make me a bold minister of reconciliation. Use me as a tool to build others up instead of breaking them down, in Jesus’ name.
© Michael D. White, 2020. All rights reserved.