"Four Principles That Will Change Your Life”

The second condition is that you do it gently. The King James Bible says ‘in a spirit of meekness’. If you go in self-righteous and holier-than-thou – YOU are the one in sin and someone needs to correct YOU! The attitude needs to be meek and gentle and kind and loving.

The third condition is that you consider yourself. Jesus pointed out that some people had a huge beam in their eye while getting on someone with a little speck in their eye. We need to understand that we have faults and flaws in our lives, too. The person we are correcting could turn around and point out our errors, too. That shouldn’t stop us – but it should motivate us to go with the right attitude. Even if we don’t have that sin in our life that we are correcting in our brother – Satan likes nothing better than to tempt us in the same way and make us hypocrites. We need to correct each other, but please do a spiritual inventory first – then go in love and gently correct.

I don’t mind if someone corrects me gently. I am more apt to respond to it. But if someone comes on too strong, too self-righteously, I don’t know about you – but it DE-motivates me. I dig in my heels. So do most people. Be gentle. Dale Carnige, in his book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, says, “Never Criticize, complain or condemn about someone you are trying to influence”. They simply won’t listen if you do. You are just wasting your time.

The third principle in our Scripture, Bear one another’s burden, reminds me of when I was young. I remember talking to my new girl friend about the perfect life. I said my dream would be to have a beautiful range up in the mountains of Montana somewhere. It would have creeks and ponds and lots of deer and elk running around. It would be far away from people and you wouldn’t be able to drive in to it. You would have to hike or ride a horse.

I was expecting a “Oh, what a lovely dream! What a wonderful life that would be to share with you!” If you know my old girl friend, who is now my wife of 36 years, you know she is nothing but honest. She said, “Oh my goodness! What a SELFISH life!”

See, I had been hurt by people. I didn’t like people. I wanted to be as far away from them as I could. But that IS selfish thinking. Our Scripture says:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

We are not “Lone Ranger” Christians. We have a duty and a command to be involved in other people’s lives. Our flesh cries out, “I have enough to do without someone else’s problems!” But God calls us to live a sacrificial life and to be involved in helping others. We are to bear each other’s burdens. We are to help one another.

Let me ask you, when’s the last time you had coffee with someone to talk about their burden? When have you gone over to lift a brother or sister up? Every Christian needs to be involved in helping others. It’s a command.

The third principle that changed my life in this Scripture is this: You Reap what you Sow.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. People reap what they sow. Those who sow to please their sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; those who sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.