Shark Bait
Posted by Dion Todd March 17th, 2024 1,985 Views 0 Comments
Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted. Galatians 6:1 WEB.
We all make mistakes. Not one of us on Earth has lived a perfect life except Jesus. Yet we tend to compare our righteousness to that of others. Sometimes we feel like, "Though we all fall short, I am a lot closer than them." The truth is that we all need Jesus because our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It literally means a "menstrual cloth." Maybe our rag is not quite as dirty as someone else's, but it's certainly not a wedding veil.
When sharks are injured in the wild, their friends and family may turn on them and tear them apart. A feeding frenzy occurs, and they begin to devour the wounded with their mouths. This is how sharks behave when there is blood in the water.
Too often, when a Christian stumbles, the rest turn on them and rip them to shreds with gossip. Some feel better about themselves by making others look bad. Maybe our righteousness is now bumped up to a four because we haven't done that yet' The "yet" word is the tricky part.
Bart Simpson once said, "This is the worst day of my life!" Homer wisely told him, "This is the worst day of your life, so far'" Much like Bart, we don't know what is coming in our lives. I once heard an elder at our church in his mid-seventies say one morning that he had gone back and done everything he said he would never do. As I grew older, I began to understand. I find it interesting that when Jesus confronted the Pharisees with condemning another of sin, the oldest left first:
"But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her." Again he stooped down and with his finger, wrote on the ground. They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last" (John 8:6'9).
When I was young and cocky, knowing very little, I thought I knew a lot. Then as life happened, I learned what it brings with it and what you can do when given the right set of circumstances. The sin that so easily besets us is always lurking right around the corner (Hebrews 12:1). It crouches outside your door seeking an entrance into your life (Genesis 4:7). I believe that as you get older and your pile of sin gets even more massive, you become a little more understanding of when people fall. Thus the oldest left first.
Most often, people do not need you to tell them they have fallen. They already know that better than you. They need help to get back up. We have all fallen short in the sin area. It only takes one sin to be guilty of the whole law (James 2:10), and all liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). Without the Lord Jesus Christ's grace, we are all hopelessly lost and will bust hell wide open. Not literally, but you get the idea.
Yet there is hope. There is forgiveness for our mistakes. If you are down right now, know that the Lord Jesus died for you to have eternal life, and your past can be wiped away with a simple prayer. If you know someone today that has fallen, be kind to them. Treat them like you would like to be treated. If the Lord has already forgiven them, who are we to point at their past. Help restore them, and in doing so, you may not become shark bait yourself.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You so much for all You do in my life. Please help me see the lost and hurting through Your eyes. Fill me with Your compassion. Help me show mercy, as I have been shown mercy, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
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