My little Mama one day got a splinter in her hand. I was at her house that day so she asked me to get it out. I first tried to get a hold on it, but no luck. So I began to try and cut away the skin enough that I could get it. I finally got it where I could grab it with something, but when I pulled in it, it broke off. This happened a couple times. Apparently the splinter was rotten and every time I would grab it, it would break. So then I would have to cut more skin away. I kept apologizing to her because I did not want to hurt her. She obviously was understanding as she was looking at the same situation that I was looking at. After a lot of work, I finally got it removed, much to both of our relief.
Sometimes we may encounter someone that needs something removed from their lives. This thing is something that can be harmful to them and can infect their soul. The words that Jesus said about removing the mote or speck out of your brother’s eye comes to mind.
Matthew 7:3-5 WEB
3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Notice Jesus never said don’t remove the speck. No, the speck needs to come out. We just need to make sure that we don’t have a beam in our own eye first. This means do this in love. Don’t beat them over the head with it. It says in Galatians 6:1 BBE Brothers, if a man is taken in any wrongdoing, you who are of the Spirit will put such a one right in a spirit of love; keeping watch on yourself, for fear that you yourself may be tested.
You see we are supposed to help remove things out of someone’s life that is harmful. We just have to do it in love and gentleness. Just like with my Mama, we may have to perform surgical maneuvers to remove these things. Well how do we do that?
Hebrews 4:12 WEB For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
You see the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword. Do you know what’s sharper than a sword? A scalpel is considered significantly sharper than a sword, as scalpels are specifically designed for precise surgical cutting and are sharpened to a much finer edge than most swords, making them considerably sharper.
We can use the Word of God as a scalpel to carefully remove things out of our own lives and others. The Word of God should never be used to harm someone. With the understanding that cutting things away can hurt. Hurt and harm are different things. Leaving the foreign object in can be infectious and harmful. While removing it may hurt, it is more beneficial to remove it.
We have to be gentle as we help cut things away so as to not harm anyone. We must be purposeful in our movements. As I stated previously, cutting away things often hurts. Repentance will cut things out of your life and we must all repent. We must all go under the scalpel of God’s Word. If we train ourselves at using God’s Word to carefully remove things out of our own lives. Then we can use this training to help remove things out of others lives.
Galatians 6:2 WEB Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:14 WEB Let all that you do be done in love.
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