His Fault

“Here is a trustworthy statement that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15, NIV 1984).

My son called me today. One of his good friends from college died from an overdose of narcotics. We moved to discussion of another dear friend who was incarcerated after a DUI. My son mentioned, “But at least some of that was his fault.” I followed with a knee jerk response of uncertain truth, “Faults are God’s business.”

Certainly, the cause of self-inflicted harm is God’s business and the business of the one who harms himself. And we have no business judging the one who causes that harm. We are fellow strugglers in Christ. We have no right to be caught up in the cause of one’s failings, except to address that cause with God’s power to help a fellow sinner overcome.

We must never use the cause of one’s failure to establish one’s guilt before God.

We must never use the cause of one’s failure as an excuse to refuse help.

We must never believe that any cause or any failure will prevent God from accomplishing His purpose in the life of the one who fails, if repentance is real.

We must never look at the weight of one’s failing to diminish the weight of our own.

We should consider all causes of failure as reminders of our own sin and the depth of God’s grace toward us.

“What any man has ever done, any man can do if he does not watch.” —Oswald Chambers

Dear God,

Let me offer the grace you have offered me.

Amen