I have noted in passing within other posts that other people are often better at seeing my foibles than I think they are, and are even sometimes better than I am. This is sometimes true in the reverse. The times when I see the foibles and weaknesses in others is what Chambers is referring to in this entry. What Chambers says is that these are divine revelations. And divine revelations have a divine responsibilities.
I have yet another confession to make (shocking, right). I have a great respect for my ability to think and reason. I call it connecting dots, but whatever I call it I take ownership of it, and pride as well. Chambers says that when I see my fellow believers sinning, then this is a revelation from my Master for the purpose of joining Him in intercessory prayer. That changes everything. Now it’s not me connecting dots, it is the Spirit of my Master connecting me to Him.
There may be times when I do the dot connecting. But really, even then, there is a real sense in which I simply exercising some ability, gift, or talent I have been given by my Master. When what I see reveals a sin on the part of one of my fellow believers, then I should be seeing an invitation from my Master to intercede for them to, or with, Him. I don’t always.
Sometimes I ignore the call to prayer and intervene, not intercede. I correct with criticism, and my criticism is rarely the kind, gentle, prodding of the Master. It is usually the clumsy poking of the ignorant. It is entertaining for me, so I call it the “party” response to the sin of others.
But at other times, I feel very close to my Master, just not close enough to avoid my pride. At these times I look at the sinning fellow with sadness. I see them hurting themselves and others, and I furrow my brow, frown, and shake my head. Um…wouldn’t it be more helpful to shut my eyes and bow my head? This is the “pity” response.
Both of these happen way more often than I want you to believe. My compassion is never generated from within. It always springs from my Master, always. I’m naturally a jerk, I just want to get that out of the way now. You’ve seen it, read it between the lines, I’m just saying it in print. I admit it. My natural tendencies are not pretty.
But when I notice, see and perceive my fellow sinning, I have an opportunity. My Master has given me a gift, an invitation to join Him in interceding for this fellow. He thinks enough of me to invite me, despite the natural tendency to be a jerk. When I do, this sinning on the part of another becomes a time of worship in prayer for me. I gain. And I gain a few things.
I gain closeness with my Master. I gain serenity in seeing the situation rightly placed in the lap of my Master. I also gain back a fellow believer. In 1 John 5:16, the Apostle John states that if the sin is not toward death, then my Master gives that person life. So, this invitation is also to see the lift-giving action of my Master on behalf of another. So, I stand to gain quite a bit.
But the obvious winner here is the fellow believer sinning. They gain life if I intercede. What happens when I choose either of the other two? The sin may not lead to death, but it also does not lead to life. What sort of half-life am I leaving them in? Now, I am not saying that my Master only reveals these things to me. Others may intercede and the fellow will have life given due to the intercession of others. But what if He does not reveal it to others. With the revelation comes a responsibility, and as with many responsibilities, others may suffer when I am not responsible.
So, again, I enter into the time of thinking of others, this time at the invitation of my Master. Blessings upon you!
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