Trust Issues Among The Brethren Hinder Growth

Christians who are Spirit-filled aught to have communion one with another. We should be offering support and encouragement, laying our own weaknesses bare, and building each other up in the things of God.

We should not be hasty to making false judgments or assumptions. We should not be afraid to confess our sins to each other. We should not be competing with one another within the Kingdom of God, but rather, we should be trying to help our brothers and sisters become more profitable for God and for Jesus’s name sake.

As humans, we know what is in man. We know because we struggle with sin. We struggle with things like insecurities, envies, hatefulness, lying, and the like. Even as we overcome these things, we are still aware of the simple fact that mankind generally deals very unrighteously with one another.

We might begin to expect the same things from others that we ourselves have been weak to at points in our lives. When we look too critically at people, our judgments are most often a reflection of our own weaknesses. This leads to hypocrisy, and we don’t want that.

However, if we are all looking inwardly and asking the Holy Spirit to search our own hearts, he will show us the hidden things that we project onto others. He will remove these things from us, and as we are made free, we are better equipped to help others who similarly struggle because we understand where they are coming from.

This only works if we are searching our own hearts first and treating our brothers and sisters with patience and compassion. Yes, there is a time for rebuke. Most of the rebuke I write about is about problems within systemic Christianity, not individuals. As individuals, we are all broken and we all need the Physician.

The point I think I’m trying to make is this. Christians who are truly led by the Holy Spirit should not be living in fear of each other. We should not be judging harshly or preemptively. We should not be competing with each other as the disciples of Jesus did, wondering over who is greatest. We should all seek to make our brothers and sisters the greatest and humble ourselves.

We know what man is capable of. We know what we have been capable of. This makes it very hard to trust our brothers and sisters as we should. However, we know who knows the hearts of all. Jesus knows us. He lived among us. He searches and cleanses our hearts, and even if we struggle with trusting those who we should trust in Christ, we can find comfort in trusting Jesus.

If we seek to do good to all, especially the brethren, then the Lord will keep us. He will avenge us if necessary, and if his revenge is among the brethren, he will use this to grow all who are involved. Are there wolves among us? Certainly. We cannot always tell however who these are. So, we trust God and do good to everyone—especially those of the faith.

I want to again reach out. I understand that people can say just about anything to illicit false confidence or to manipulate people. That is not me. I despise lying and manipulation. I cannot say such things were never in me, however. The Lord has searched my heart fervently and continues to do so.

Any brothers or sisters, particularly those who have been blessed of the Spirit, are welcome to approach me with just about anything. I assure you that my sins have been sufficient for damnation, so I do not judge self-righteously anymore.

If you have a question about my intent, if you struggle with a sin and just want someone to listen, whatever the case might be, when you come to me you are approaching a place of safety. It should be so with all Christians. Are we living this?