Hazardous

I saw a truck the other day marked as hazardous. From my oil patch days, I knew the contents were aluminum alkyls. These are used in making polymers (plastics.) Nasty characters, they spontaneously combust when exposed to air and can explode when hit with a fire hose (presumably, you are trying to put out the fire you started when you exposed them to air!)

 

People do not come with a hazardous warning sign. It might be helpful to know who was ready to blow if exposed to suggestions or corrections and who would blow when rebuked. I have met these people from time to time in ministry. Now we all are this way once in a while but some are this way most all the time. Powder kegs waiting to go off. We tip toe and hope for the best while we navigate life around them. This proves really hard if they are family, a coworker or a parishioner.

 

We, as Christians, mistakenly believe that we are supposed to be "nice." By nice, I mean that we are never supposed to do anything that would make anyone mad. Now I don't believe we should purposely go around picking a fight and I do believe we should respect others (especially those different) but I also believe that the rebuke is a critical tool God uses to correct us.

 

A rebuke is a correction. We all need correction and we all need to correct. We are as yet incomplete as humans. We have things to learn and we have habits to break. True, not all rebukes are grounded in God, but the Bible tells us that wise people correct others (in love) and accept correction. Only the fool avoids rebuke.

 

Lord let me listen to faithful correction and embolden me to offer it in love. Help me keep explosions to a minimum.

 

 

Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Leviticus 19:17 (NIV)

 

You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son.

 These things you have done and I kept silent;
       you thought I was altogether like you.
       But I will rebuke you
       and accuse you to your face.

 Consider this, you who forget God,
       or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:   Psalm 50:20-22 (NIV)

 

My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
       and do not resent his rebuke   Proverbs 3:11 (NIV)

 

He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor
       than he who has a flattering tongue.  Proverbs 28:23 (NIV)

 

 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:33 (NIV)