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CC Youth Call · Galatians 6:1

Be a Restorer,
Not a Reactor

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 (“Brothers and sisters” means fellow believers.)
The Main Idea

When someone is doing something wrong, your job isn’t to:

Tell on themPunish themGossip about themJoin themPretend it’s okay Restore them, gently

God calls us to help restore them, gently.

We love each other enough to call each other up and out. And when we are the ones being called out in our own sin, we receive that feedback with humility and curiosity.

Let’s break this verse down and think about steps we can take to follow it.

1
“…you who live by the Spirit…”

CHECK YOUR SPIRIT FIRST!

Not everybody who notices something wrong is automatically ready to correct it. Sometimes we shouldn’t. Oftentimes, we need to make sure our own heart is in the right place first.

Before you correct someone, run it through this filter:

Am I in the Spirit right now, or am I reactive? (What are my motives?)
Am I trying to HELP them or HURT them?

Am I saying this because…

  • I love them?
  • I want something better for them?
  • I want to restore the relationship?

Or because…

  • I’m angry?
  • I want to get back at them?
  • I want to prove I’m right?
  • I want other people to agree with me?
Ask

Have you ever responded to someone’s mistake or sin for selfish reasons, instead of the right reasons that come from being filled with the Spirit?

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

2
“If someone is caught…”

It’s NOT who they ARE!

There’s a difference between someone being bad and someone being caught doing something they shouldn’t. When we sin, we miss the mark of God’s best for us. Sin separates us from God, but it doesn’t change WHO we are.

It’s important to remember that about others too. When someone is caught in sin, they are not a bad person. They are doing something bad. We have a special opportunity to remind them of their identity.

Instead of attacking who they areSeparate who they are from what they did
“You’re a liar.”
“You’re acting dishonestly right now. You are a man of God, and men of God don’t lie.”
“You’re so mean.”
“What you just did probably hurt that person. I know you love people, so this isn’t like you.”
“You’re a terrible friend.”
“What you said hurt. I know you are a good friend, but I did not feel loved by the way you just spoke to me.”

The steps to this process

  1. Check your spirit. Am I saying this out of pure motives?
  2. Name what they did. “Here is what you did…”
  3. Remind them of their identity. “You are a woman of God…”
  4. Restore them gently. “Are you okay? Is there something you need to share?”

Encourage them, check on them, ask how they are doing.

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

3
“…should restore that person gently…”

RESTORE them GENTLY

Ask

What does it mean to restore something?

When you restore an old car, a piece of furniture, a house, or a painting, you aren’t throwing it away because something is damaged. You see the value beyond the damage and dirt.

Run-down Victorian house, before and after restoration
Before and after: a Victorian house brought back to life. Tap to enlarge.
Dirty old Chevelle in a barn, before and after restoration
Before and after: a barn-find Chevelle, fully restored. Tap to enlarge.

You’re trying to bring it back to what it was designed to be.

Remember MEND from last month? If something is important to you, you will mend it instead of throwing it away. In the same way, we can restore others. Often they themselves may be sad, discouraged, or lonely.

Hurting people hurt people. This is our chance to remind them of who they are, and to check in on them.

“Hey, this isn’t like you. Is something going on? Are you okay? Is there anything you’ve been feeling lately that you need to share? Has anything happened that might make you react like this? You don’t usually treat others this way. Are you okay?”

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

4
“But watch yourselves…”

WATCH OUT!

Here is the really important second half: Don’t become the thing you’re trying to correct.

Ask

Have you ever been mad at someone for their sin, and then responded by sinning back at them?

Everyone probably has an example!

Someone else’s sin doesn’t give me permission to abandon my integrity.

Were You Listening?

Discussion questions

  1. 1
    Who can recite Galatians 6:1 without looking it up?
  2. 2
    Think of a recent time someone did something wrong. Whether you handled it well or not, how could you respond now to restore them gently?
  3. 3
    What would “restore gently” look like at school, at church, on your team, or with your siblings?
  4. 4
    Which of the four steps is hardest for you, and why?
Your Action Step

Next time you see someone in sin:

  1. Check your spirit. Am I saying this out of pure motives?
  2. Name what they did. “Here is what you did…”
  3. Remind them of their identity. “You are a man/woman of God…”
  4. Restore them gently. “Are you okay? Is there something you need to share?”