Galatians 6:1

Scripture:

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.” (ESV) 

Observation:

I remember asking God to help me as I was trying to restore my relationship with my wife after an anger outburst. Too many times I had to come an apologize to my wife when I let my anger get out of control, but there was a part of that restoration that I was missing. The verse speaks of restoration, that it is about restoring our relationships in a spirit of gentleness. Most men are not gentle when it comes to our failures. We beat ourselves up and choose to live with the guilt of our mistakes. Although my wife had forgiven me and our relationship was restored, I needed to take a look at myself. Was I restoring my relationship with God? Was I living in the guilt of my past rather than looking at the new creation God was making me? I discovered that sharing all this with the men of my small group helped me bridge the gap to restoration. More can be found about restoration in the lesson entitled “Bride to Restoration” in the discipleship resources found at men.ag.org.

Application:

• Personal Application: Continue spending time with the Lord daily. Sow righteousness and reap the fruit of God's unfailing love. 
• Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Ask them if anything spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is that we must continue to spend time with the Lord and keep our hearts focused on His plans and purposes. Pray for them.

TOM SEMBER has been involved in ministering to men for over 20 years. He is an ordained minister with the AG in the NY Ministry Network. Tom lives with his wife, Carolyn, and children in New York. You can connect with Tom on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.