Day 6

Correctional Facilities

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Gal 6:1

Have you ever corrected your ‘stubborn’ child by lashing out against them in anger? Where are all the spare the rod and spoil the child warriors? Lol

We can find ourselves frustrated when we see potential in others going to ‘waste’. We can think to ourselves, oh they are so lazy and undisciplined and use hard words to correct them in the hopes that they will do better. I had that done to me when I was younger and was honestly not applying myself. My mum was determined to give us the best life and she made a lot of sacrifices to get us there including sending us to America for university. Thankfully with my high SAT scores, I was awarded a scholarship as part of my admission and this was a huge relief for my family and I.

Unfortunately for me, even though I was very book smart, I was also very undisciplined and struggling with the change in location, culture shock, etc. I didn't apply myself and lost the scholarship after freshman year and also got kicked out of the Honors College. My mum and brother were LIVID, rightfully so, and I was so ashamed and disappointed in myself. In typical Nigerian way, they did not mince words and I had the worst summer of my life to date getting bombarded with insults left, right and center. Their harsh technique worked because I went back to school sophomore year and worked my butt off and redeemed myself by getting back into the Honors College and winning another scholarship albeit, a smaller one. 

That season became one of the most important seasons of my life. I don't think about it much today but it made me realize what failure truly is and I was determined never to experience it again. It also created a big wedge between my family because I couldn't get past their lack of support for me and it also set me up to be more accepting of aggressive behavior from other relationships. Now that I am older and many years have passed, I can understand that they were trying to do what they thought was best and also reacting from a place of disappointment. However, in that season, it was very dark for me. I took that season and forged a stronger, harder version of myself. It may seem good that i was able to forge myself that way but it was not as God has designed or planned for me to be. 

Gentleness does not mean condoning the act or failing to correct. It does mean saying the truth but saying the way Jesus would say it. It means correcting from a place of understanding that grace is the reason we are not in the same situation as the transgressor. It means setting aside our own feelings of disappointment and prayerfully helping another out of a wrong situation.  

Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted

This one I am very sober about. It’s scary for me as someone that LOVES to help others to allow myself to be in a situation where my over eagerness leads me to lash out at others or to fall. One extreme is not better than the other. Thinking critically about it, I realize that the reason why this would happen is if I try to help by my own strength. Everything we do must be powered by God, then He can lead and direct us through it all and make our paths steady before us so we can avoid pitfalls. 

So I encourage you today to lean on the grace available to us as we go about our days. May we correct others with kindness and love, just like Jesus would. May we allow the forgives shown to us on the cross flow out of us towards everyone we meet.

And may the grace prayer truly become real in our lives today and always.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit abide with us forever and ever. Amen