Speak Words To Help, Not Hurt

Good Morning!! Admonish seems like a relic, from another age,....one of those words you seem to find only in the Bible. After all, who admonishes anyone anymore,...who would dare? Does it sound very loving, or friendly to admonish anyone? It sounds more like bad news, instead of good news. But look carefully at what Paul is says in today's verse. He doesn't say, "Admonish the world carelessly." He says; "Admonish one another in all wisdom."

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.—Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

Now days, we'd say check them, or put them in their place, but done right,...it just means to holding each other accountable,...keeping one anther on the right path. There are some clues for us in Paul's confrontation with Peter in Galatians 2. Paul saw that by Peter's behavior, he had traded the freedom of the gospel for legalism. Peter fell into a common trap,...sometimes in our desire to be moral, or obedient, we exhibit behaviors in conflict with the very gospel we preach. To admonish with wisdom means we should always start by asking the question, "Does this behavior contradict the gospel?" If the answer is yes, then we must confront the behavior,...but again with wisdom,...so our admonishing also is in line with the gospel.

"A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ."
(Paul admonished Peter, to keep the good news, good.)

Our Lord, our God, grant us great wisdom as we attempt to deal with each other,...in love. Amen.

"Loving God is the key to loving others."