LOVING LIKE GOD Pt.10

On a rainy day at school, a boy forgot his umbrella at home. He got drenched in the rain with no one to help or cover him from the torrents. One of the  girls opened her umbrella, put it over both of them, and walked him home. She got half-wet herself.

Someone asked her, “Why did you do that?” She said, “Because he didn’t have cover.” That’s love.  The world is full of rain: criticism, scandals, mistakes, attacks.  Those of us in ministry are always in the spotlight and it is as though the world is waiting for our mistakes. No thanks to social media that amplifies little things.

Church folks expose the weakness of pastor's wives and ridicule their children by saying, "and your dad is a pastor", forgetting that they are children like every other kid out there. They did not beg to be born into the house of a clergy. God put them there to grow but they are prone to making one or two mistakes like other children. Why go hard on them rubbing it on their faces?

The most painful thing is that those we lead, pray and labour over join the fray to uncover us and allow rain of criticism and mockery to beat us heavily. This rarely happens to leaders of other religions. Just a personal observation. Most of those who set ring lights and go live to make a preacher's faux pas trend are mostly church folks.

Even in marriage, I have seen husbands expose their wives( and vice versa) to those who will go behind to mock them. They act sympathetic to their marital plights in their presence, but they laugh and mock them behind. Often, I warn people to discuss critical issues in their families with a trusted mentor or accountability partner not to someone that will broadcast it.

Some men I see in counseling do not love their wives and vice versa. Real love doesn’t expose people. It covers them.  Real love doesn’t throw people to the wolves. It stands in front of them. If love is a house, then protection is the roof.

The bible says, *"Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.*"( Prov 10:12).

When bad news spread about someone, love will not spread it, rather, it will correct what is wrong in that person's life and cover it with prayer and not spread it on whatsapp groups. Love does not destroy the names of people.

Do not mistake covering of wrongs with pampering sin. They are not the same. We cover the wrongs of people to correct not to ridicule them in public. Pampering sin is unChristlike.

We confront the sin of others gently with the aim of bringing them to repentance, not by laughing at it. We do not expose them to public ridicule but point them to the cross. This is why church leaders must differentiate between biblical discipline and shaming.

Galatians 6:1 says, *"My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, the one who is in the Spirit should seek to restore him in the Spirit of gentleness. But keep watch over your own heart so that you won’t be tempted to exalt yourself over him*"( TPT).

Did you notice that the work of restoration is given to only those in the Spirit, that is, mature believers? We all know where we stand with God. Let's not try to correct those we do not have spiritual jurisdiction over. The mistake of a man does not automatically confer on you the role of correction.

That is for the mature in Spirit, those he is accountable. Trying to play a role you are not assigned will wound the victim more than healing him/her.