I shared a hypothetical case study with us previously where I stressed the importance of being led by the Spirit. Failure to be led by the Spirit of God in matters such as this will not glorify God and may lead to fatal outcomes.
Today, I want to point you to another extreme that most people engage in when they want to restitute: failure to get adequate pastoral counseling and involvement in the restitution process. When God's people bypass the pastoral counseling border, oftentimes, they fail.
The bible says, "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety"( Proverbs 11:14 NKJV).
My dad is a pastor of over 40 decades and I've watched him handle very tough cases over the years. Through him, I know how important it is to have a wise and Spirit-led pastor over ones life. Aside the matter of restitution, pastoral guidance that is biblical is priceless.
Restitution is not something you do just because you are led. In some cases and instance, you need pastoral diplomacy to handle certain things. There is a way to present a matter and there is way not to present a matter. A sound pastor has the wisdom of Nathan( 2 Sam 12) and the tact of the Cushite (2 Sam 18:32). Like the case study shared previously, a sound pastor will be needed to help mediate in such matters.
Zeal is not greater than wisdom.
Even in my few years of pastoring, God has helped me to handle cases that could have led to a total breakdown of relationship between people. Some of these cases range from "strange" infidelity/ sexual immorality and confessions that could have ended proposed marital union. I did not cast them away neither did I condemn them. I simply pointed them to the cross. That is where the power of transformation lies.
Often, I tell people that pastoring is a "dirty" job. A pastor's job is like a nursing mother who will clean the mess of his baby, wash him clean and keep nurturing the baby till he becomes mature. A normal mother will not throw her baby away because he messed his body. She will clean him up and embrace him. That is what pastoring look like in a way.
A sound pastor can discern between genuine leading of the Spirit and misguided zeal. Even when the leading is genuine, he can help to discern the right timing. Please, do not bypass pastoral order.
