Restoration

Galatians 6:1
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Ah yes, someone else being caught in a sin. Juicy gossip. Righteous outrage. Judgmental stares. Apparently, that isn’t what God wants us to do. OK, so now what?
We restore them. “Restore them?!?” Yes, restore them gently.
The Greek word for “restore” is translated “to mend, to repair; to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be.” Wow! That’s quite different from the approach we often take, isn’t it? Many times, in our churches, we throw them out, distance ourselves from them, pretending we have every right to do so. Now, if this person has been caught and refuses to repent, continuing in their sin, that’s a whole different scenario. However, when the person admits that they are in the wrong, and begin taking steps toward healing and forgiveness, we need to be there to help them, to mend and repair them, to strengthen them, to make them what they ought to be. And we need to do so gently, not being harsh and cruel. Just as we would re-set a child’s broken arm, so we need to be when we are helping to re-set a sister or brother’s broken spirit.
Is this the approach we take when we see a sister or brother fall? Or do we react more harshly, judgmentally? Let’s be the ones to give them help, to love on them, to support them, to pray for them. Let’s be the ones that do not talk about them and their failures. After all, next time, it could be us!