Jesus is Essential
Luke 17:1–4: Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
We are all sinners living in a sinful world. But we must take heed not to cause others to stumble, for it is a serious thing to sin against a fellow believer and tempt him or her to sin. But suppose you are not the one who does the sinning. If a brother or sister does sin against us, we should give a private loving rebuke.
Our tendency might be to feel hurt down inside, nurse a grudge, and then tell others what happened to us, but this is the wrong approach (see Matt. 18:15–20). “Speaking the truth in love” is the first step toward solving personal differences. 1
Walking with Jesus
There are three types of actions to be taken. First: take heed. What changes do you need to make today to avoid sinning or causing others to sin? Second: confront the one who sinned against you. Is it time to be courageous and obedient? Third: forgive. Do you need to forgive the repentant person and be free from resentment and bitterness?
Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Deuteronomy 4:9
Taking heed to myself is much wiser than sinning against others.
Praying
Lord, thank You for protecting me from acting foolishly towards others.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
