RevoDevos – Day 25

Wednesday, July 16^th
Read: Galatians 6:1-2

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Discuss questions you have about this passage together. Here is one to get started with:

How could we be tempted if we were restoring someone else/watching out for someone else?

Have you ever given in to temptation? Have you ever been so angry you swore and cursed, maybe even punched someone out? When was the last time you said something cutting or mean, even nasty, or gossiped about a friend?

How did you feel? Guilty, ashamed, sad? Sometimes I’ve felt so stupid! I knew that I should have done better.

Did anyone restore you? Or were you left to stuff your feelings deep inside of you, and go on with your mask in place?

If you were blessed enough to experience someone who cared enough to stand with you, not against you, who prayed for you without rubbing it in, who showed you kindness and friendship when you knew you didn’t deserve it, then you know someone who fulfilled the law of Christ for you—and now you get to pass it on.

Don’t judge someone else when you see that they are in trouble. Love them instead. Why? Because The Father sent Jesus to be a friend of sinners, not a judge. He came to judge for us against evil demonic enemies and to rescue us! God knows that people mess up, because we are human and incapable of good without His help. Trying to be good for God doesn’t work, because we always fail when we do it on our own strength. Either you let Him take it out and replace it with His love and righteousness, or you’ll miss the mark again and again. He doesn’t want you to suffocate under a burden of guilt and shame, but to come back to His heart, release the sin and be healed. That’s what restoration is—restored to relationship with the Father. And that’s why we bear one another’s burdens.

Process:
-Do you have anyone to bear your burdens?

-Are you involved in authentic Christian community? How can you get plugged in?