Walter on Fault-Finding and Fixing It
On Faults and Fault-finding
March
13, 2005
Dear
Paul,
This
will be my last letter to you all - at least for a while. I've never typed so much in my life and my
rickety fingers say it's time to rest before I use up all the bits of wisdom
I've been able to hem together over the years.
Even a fool when he keeps silent appears wise - and I'd much rather fool
you folks into thinking Solomon's words have rubbed some wisdom into my bones
than letting my endless babblings show how little I know.
So,
this topic is one all of my own choosing since it is one dear to my heart - and
I'll call it "The Christian and Faults."
There
is nothing perfect in this world. Every face has its blemish. Every field has
its weed. No matter how many air-brushes
and air-pesticides a person uses, the thorns and thistles are with us to the
end. You'll never get "white flour out
of a black coal bag" as Mr. Spurgeon said.
One of the funniest things about being human, however, is that we tend
to discover these mistakes very quickly in everyone but ourselves. Most men are like children standing in front
of a carnival mirror - yet the distorted picture they see is one of
near-perfection, not sinful silliness.
Jesus
said it this way:
Luke 6:41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not
notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your
brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you
yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take
the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the
speck that is in your brother's eye.
Most
of us are running around with cedar fence-poles sticking out of our eyes while
we hunt for a fleck of lint in our brother's ocular apparatus. Let it be stated, you'll never get close
enough to a man to really see him if you're sticking a fence-pole into his
forehead! Let it also be stated that
lint leaves faster than lumber! It takes
no scientist to see at least a part of what Jesus was getting at is that we
ought to pay a might more attention to our own stuff than we normally do... and
not worry so much about the stuff in our neighbour.
Daughters
of Eve and Sons of Adam have this in common - an inborn ability to think too
high of themselves.
Show me a critical and fault-finding woman and I'll show you a woman
who's never seriously looked in the mirror of Truth. Open your mouth and all looks fine - until
the dentist shines his bright light in there to find holes and stains
galore. There are far too many
denture-Christians, running around like they had Robert Redford's teeth when
the fact is 18 years of coffee-drinking has done its damage. We were born damaged, and years of sin (as an
unbeliever or a believer) means we have faults-a-plenty to contend with - most of them entirely unseen by us. It might surprise the average person to have
everyone in the room write down one constructive criticism of them. Why, a whole book with multiple chapters, an
index and colour illustrations could be written in an hour! That's why the Lord said through Solomon:
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, / but love
covers all offences.
Or, as Peter said in the New Testament:
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep
loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
The
best way to handle another's faults is to soak them in a bucket of love. The worst medicine doesn't taste too bad in a
glass of milk. Surround your liver and
onions with some good old mashed potatoes and it'll go down a tad easier. Put some love into every relationship and
you'll find you can bear more than an
elephant.
If
we thought more about what was good in others instead of what was wrong, we'd
find life a tractor-load more pleasant and perhaps load up on a few good
friends along the way. Some people are
drawn to failings in others like sharks to fresh blood. The old shark wondered where all his friends
had disappeared to... he should have looked in his belly!
Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your
neighbour as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another,
watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Speaking
of devouring one another, we would do
good to give some special attention to all those "one-another's."
I've often thought that every Christians ought to be taken to One
Another College for a semester just to get these things figured out right in
his head. If we would learn to do what
it is we are supposed to do, there just plain wouldn't be any time left to
worry about everybody else's faults. I
count over 45 of them in the New Testament - and I am going to list them all
here for you:
- Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. one
another in showing honour.
- Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another.
- Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer
- Romans 15:5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in
such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
- Romans 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the
glory of God.
- Romans 15:14 ... [ be] able to instruct one another.
- Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- 1 Corinthians 11:33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one
another--
- 1 Corinthians 12:24 But God has so composed the body, giving greater honour to the
part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body,
but that the members may have the same care for one another.
- 1 Corinthians 16:20 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one
another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and
peace will be with you.
- 2 Corinthians 13:12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
- Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your
freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one
another.
- Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one
another.
- Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
- Ephesians 4:2 ...with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one
another in love,
- Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as
God in Christ forgave you.
- Ephesians 5:19 ...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,
- Ephesians 5:21 ...submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- Colossians 3:9 ...Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old
self with its practices
- Colossians 3:13 ...bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against
another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also
must forgive.
- Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and
admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
- 1 Thessalonians 3:12 ...and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one
another and for all, as we do for you,
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9 ...Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to
write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one
another,
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up,
just as you are doing.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to
do good to one another and to everyone.
- Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another every day,
as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin.
- Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good
works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging
one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
- James 4:11 ...Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.
- James 5:9
Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be
judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
- James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one
another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has
great power as it is working.
- 1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a
sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
- 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another
earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
- 1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
- 1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good
stewards of God's varied grace:
- 1 Peter 5:5 Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another,
for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
- 1 Peter 5:14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who
are in Christ.
- 1 John 3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning,
that we should love one another.
- 1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
- 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever
loves has been born of God and knows God.
- 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
- 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us
and his love is perfected in us.
Love
/ Outdo / Live in harmony with / Do not pass judgment against / welcome /
instruct / Greet / wait for / care / comfort / agree with /serve /Bear the
burdens of / bear with / Be kind to / forgive / submit to / teach / admonish / abound in love for / encourage /
build up / always seek to do good to /
exhort every day / consider how to stir up to love and good works / confess
your sins to / love earnestly from a pure heart / Show hospitality without
grumbling / Clothe yourselves, all of you, with
humility toward / Greet with the kiss of love/ love ONE ANOTHER!
Jiminy
Cricket, that's a list worth thinking about.
I realize I haven't done much more than "rip those texts right out of
their context" as your pastor would tell me... but they stand on their own well
enough. Let a man or woman spend some
time reading and memorizing half that list and they'll be a different person in
a month if the Spirit of God is in them.
It's wise to learn your "one
another's"
Then practice them when with your
brothers!
Now,
perhaps no faults are as difficult to put up with in others more than the ones
that sting us. A neighbour may struggle
with the odd little lie... but when his lie costs me a year's worth of corn - my
temper is liable to show itself. Old
Walter doesn't have much to say on this, as I've spent a good too many days of
my life taking a spade to other men's eyeballs.
But of late, the one thing that has helped me is considering my sins and their effect on my God.
Consider
what Jesus endured while He walked on the earth - faults galore. How many times did others impugn his motives,
blaspheme His name, twist His words and eventually condemn Him to die. Then there were just all the normal sins that
were constantly going on around Him - wherever He went! But it was all love from Jesus. How much more do my faults effect
Him? He sees them all, died for them all
and must constantly witness them all.
Yet, He continually loves me!
Consider
the Father, who "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust. 48 You therefore must be perfect, as
your heavenly Father is perfect." If the Lord is so good as to send the sun and
rain on the atheist's field, then I have no business saying I can't tolerate a
few little sins in my brother's life.
Consider
the Holy Spirit, who gets "quenched" and "grieved" by us all the time - but
never leaves or forsakes us.
Could we bear from one another,
What He daily bears from us?
Yet this glorious Friend and
Brother,
Loves us though we treat Him thus:
Though for good we render ill,
He accounts us brethren still.
Words: John Newton, Olney Hymns (
O,
brothers and sisters, if the Great Tri-une God can
put up with us, we most certainly ought to learn to put up with one
another! Now, of course there are times
when certain flagrant and hideous sins must be addressed, but even there, our
tone and spirit is to be one of seeking reconciliation, not revenge!
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any
transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of
gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear
one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if
anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But
let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself
alone and not in his neighbour. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
Now
I recently had a brother come and speak to me about one of my many faults, and
I have to say how very thankful I was that he did. Here was a brother who came in humility and
gentleness, not wagging a finger but offering a hand. It's never easy to have somebody straighten
the mirror to show you what you really look like - but, at least in my life, I
have to say, I still like what is not easy.
Like so many of our faults, often the biggest problem is that we don't
see them (or, we choose to not see them).
Having a patient brother help you to see what is really there is a
treasure not to be traded for gold. A
brother that knows the Word well enough to know where you are straying is one
thing - but one who has the pluck and courage to come at you with humility on
the matter - well, as I said, he is priceless.
Now,
one sure cure to focusing on the faults of others is to be busy serving them
all the time. Christians are a little
like manure... spread them in the field to work and you can watch for the fruit...
pile them up, let them sit around and a nasty stench floats in the air. If your mind is full of what's wrong with
everyone else then I suggest you spread out and do some work: become your
brother's servant. They may sound like
the very opposite to good advice, but if you truly, in your heart of hearts,
seek to serve others, there will be so much of your own yuck to deal with you
won't have time to find fault with others.
Like
one wise man once said, "Let me serve you and I will be happy - treat me like
your servant and watch for my scorn!"
You make it your goal to be least of all - all of the time - and you
will soon find all kinds of wicked roots in your heart and specks in your
eye. The Lord will bless you with all
sorts of opportunities to scour away the evil and flush out your eyes! Show me a complaining and bitter man and I'll
show you a man who doesn't serve his church family.
Most
of the churches I've been to have sinners in them. And where there are sinners there is
generally a little sin... sometimes a lot!
Would that we all could learn to meet the brunt of that sin with love -
real, hot, self-sacrificing, Spirit-empowered love. Doctrine is not less important than love, but
I would rather you be known as a church of love than a church of good
doctrine. Truth is,
the two always go together.
Everyone
laughed when the kettle called the pot black.
And rightly so.
You'd be surprised to find out how many faults you really have... a wise
man would be busy looking into that before telling another man about his
problems. The bald man has no business
making fun of the bald. The sinner ought
to keep his mitts off the sinner.
That's
what old Walter thinks anyway.
Well,
I am tired. March is never a good month
for the rheumatics and this year is no exception. Perhaps I'll write to you all again another
time, but that is enough for now. I hope
these letters have been at least a little helpful. Mind you pay more attention to the Lord and
His Word than an old coot like me. Time
may have taught me a few lessons, but it's done more to teach me my faults than
anything else.
Have
a great discussion time!
Your Friend,
Walter
P.S. I guess somebody from down there tried to
call us, but we are still on the party line and Mrs. Fischer picked up by
accident. I saw her at the post office
last week, but for the life of her she couldn't remember your name (much like
she can't remember her ring on the phone line!). So, sorry, but I don't know who you are to
call you back. I'm sure you could talk
to your pastor and be happy - once and a while he has something decent to say.
P.P.S. You may
want to keep a close eye on the said pastor, that he doesn't get overworked, as
now he'll have to go back to preparing his own material for Sunday nights. J
-
W