True Restoration

One of my favorite words is restore, and a few of my favorite scriptures are Galatians 6:1-2.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ”

Verse 1 encourages us to restore people who have fallen down spiritually.

Verse 2 commands to bear ye one another’s burdens.

Restoring A Soul

The next time you find something negative about someone’s life, don’t pick up the phone and spread it around—that will not help anyone. Instead, I encourage you to pray for wisdom and ask God to give you the words to speak life into their dying faith.

Pray that God would trust you enough to restore a soul.

You have an amazing opportunity to minister to the brokenhearted. Ministering to someone’s spiritual needs is easier than you may think. An encouraging word goes a long way. Say something like,

• “I just wanted to let you know that I love you and that I’m here for you.”
• “Would you like to get together for coffee with me sometime this week?”
• “I know you’re beating yourself up over this situation, but everyone messes up. I’ve messed up so many times, but this is how God has helped me…”
• “This isn’t the end of your relationship with God. He’s a forgiving and merciful God.”
• “Let’s pray that God strengthens you and encourages you. I love you.”

Consider Yourself

The next part of this scripture says, “Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” We need to consider ourselves in the same fallen situation because our human frailty can crumble under the pressures of this world. I am not exempt from falling into sin. This is why it is so vital to keep our flesh under subjection, because there are no limits that we could exceed.

We are only as strong as our weakest link.

We are the body of Christ, where one member lacks the other member supplies. When one member hurts, we all hurt. We need to RESTORE people. Think of the people who have helped you in your journey with God. Aren’t you thankful they extended a hand of restoration and not judgment?

Prayer: Lord, You have restored my relationship with You time after time, and I’m so grateful. Thank you for never giving up on me. I pray that You would help me be a voice of encouragement in other people’s lives. I don’t want to tear someone down with my words and actions. Rather, I desire to build people up with my prayers and words of encouragement.I pray that You would use me to help restore a soul.