If you’re sufficiently familiar with the Bible, you’ll know the portion in the title is incomplete. But more on that later.<\/p>\n
Admonish.<\/i> I don’t think it’s a term all that common in the contemporary American lexicon.<\/p>\n
But it better be in the Christian’s lexicon…and practice! <\/p>\n
Admonish:<\/b> to caution, advise, or counsel against something; to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner; to urge to a duty; remind.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I better tell you why I’m on this subject. It started Sunday morning, January 22.<\/p>\n
For his devotional, the Sunday School Superintendent read portions of Romans 14 and 15. His reading ended with six words in Romans 15:14, like this:<\/p>\n
“Able also to admonish one another.”<\/p>\n
Ten days that saying has been buzzing around in my head!<\/p>\n
That morning I commented about that portion to the men assembled in the Sunday School I was teaching.<\/p>\n
I commented further about it to the class this past Sunday. (My turn teaching the men’s class is now done, so I doubt I’ll be commenting on the verse to the class again.)<\/p>\n
In my comments to the class, my line of thought had to do with what often keeps me from admonishing another. (My list has lengthened since those mornings.)<\/p>\n
\n
- He’s an extra good friend of mine, so I cut him a lot of (read: too much) slack.<\/li>\n
- We’ve had conflicts before, and I’m not wanting a new bout with him.<\/li>\n
- I know he’s struggling or discouraged, and I don’t want to pile on.<\/li>\n
- He gets nasty and fights fire with fire…no thanks!<\/li>\n
- He’s stubborn, stuck in his ways, and very unapproachable…why waste my time?<\/li>\n
- I’ve admonished him before, so I don’t want to seem like I’m picking on him.<\/li>\n
- He hurt me recently; I don’t want him to think I’m being vindictive.<\/li>\n
- I don’t want to hurt him.<\/li>\n
- Based on past experience, I’m sure I’ll get the silent treatment for a while.<\/li>\n
- I don’t know how to do it right.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And thus, I’m not “able also to admonish one another.”<\/span><\/p>\n
What hinders you from admonishing another?<\/b><\/p>\n
There’s more to the verse, though.<\/p>\n
It clearly speaks of a mutual give and take — one another<\/b>, you know.<\/p>\n
Then I have to ask myself, which of the above keeps someone else from admonishing me?<\/p>\n
Likely all of them.<\/p>\n
So what must I do to be more admonishable?<\/p>\n
PS: Here’s the entire verse as rendered in the New American Standard Bible (NASB):<\/p>\n
“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.”<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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