Nougat 19

As we reflect in this new series on Accompaniment, I pray that we will also be transformed along the way. Please receive Today’s Holy Nougat

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Ouch

I have entitled our reflection on the Nougat ‘Ouch’, as I believe it captures our possible reaction to the Pauline injunction. In many instances, when someone – who may be a believer or not – falls into ‘sin’, our initial reaction is not accompaniment. We might express regret, unbelief, surprise, anger or even a sense of betrayal; but I don’t know that we often feel the urge to journey alongside the person.

On a somewhat worse note, when we move past that first reaction, we might feel that our accompaniment should be in the form of a cover up, rather than helping the person get sorted out. But siblings, covering up the wrongs – as in, trying to pretend it didn’t happen – especially if perpetrated against another; is not accompaniment as described in our Nougat. In fact, in many spaces, what we do in such instances is complicity, and not genuine support. And our complicity could make us accessories to the sin.

Nor are we being called to be judge and jury, as we may be wont to. Rather, our call is to journey alongside the individual, moving them toward wholeness by helping them to see:

• how their action is wrong;

• why it needs restitution on the spiritual and in the natural; and

• possible steps to return to wholeness before God and in community.

None of that, fortunately or unfortunately, involves:

– gossiping about the person (Ouch),

– getting bitter toward them (Ouch),

– getting even so they understand our pain (Ouch), or

– excommunicating the individual so their shame doesn’t taint us (Ouch).

Yet those are some common responses that I’ve (/we’ve?) indulged in over time.

Might I encourage us to check ourselves to see whether God is calling us to a ministry of accompaniment in this season? Regardless of our response, if we’ve been feeling a pinch or more from the aforementioned, let’s pause to apologize to God for our behavior. In so doing, we acknowledge that we have also sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

Before restoring the sinful to wholeness, let’s also remove the plank from our own lives.

Selah

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May all we seek be found in Christ