Admonish

Christianity has such a catch to it. God is so much wiser than we can understand and our brains can hurt trying to put meld everything He said in to something simple. It is complex. It is case by case. We are all striving for the same end but we all struggle in parts of that. The catch is this. Do we let each other struggle or do we hold each other to the means of that end? This is where a word comes in, an instruction:
Admonish....

ad·mon·ish  (d-mnsh)

tr.v. ad·mon·ished, ad·mon·ish·ing, ad·mon·ish·es

1. To reprove gently but earnestly.

2. To counsel (another) against something to be avoided; caution.

3. To remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility.

 Admonish is one of my favorite thoughts about how we are to be. I have it on a painting along with other words of how I will raise my kids... teach, encourage, train up, admonish.....

I love how it explains grace and action in a word. We so often forget that God's word teaches us to correct and rebuke each other so that we don't fall in to a death trap. We as people find it hard to grasp how we could do such a thing and still have grace. We only see it in the negative and as painful. It may even seem painful, but it is loving. We correct our children because we love them, but what of us that are all adults? Is our learning done? Not at all. And the teacher is the Word of God. No man can boast it is him or her. And I am not talking about correcting every man that walks by and being the sin patrol. I am talking about close brothers and sisters, family, best friends. We want the best for them, or at least we should. If we forget and think that we are judging them if we mention anything confrontational, then how will anyone grow. God uses us to lift each other up. Admonishing shows us how to do that; gently but earnestly. That is not a judgement in the sense of condemning anyone. That is saying remember what God's word says.... and offering counsel in a loving and graceful way. And then that grace that covers will not leave any shame. We don't hold things over each others heads. 

And I think if we stay silent there is risk of another scenario. Of judgement that feels like condemnation. That we will begin to see each other sliding and then question each others faith. We will see action upon action that is hypocritical to the word of God and then we will question who one really is, or where they stand. We will assume that they aren't a Christian because their actions don't match up to this end that we should strive for. We will look for good fruit but be unsure if there is enough.

So there is the catch it seems. Grace is always there, but then what do we do with it?

 Colossians 3:16

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

 Colossians 1:28

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.