Our Lord IS the Great Physician. He knows when we might need some radical, deep, and at times painful spiritual surgery. But he does it because he loves us, and he knows what is best for us. And at other times he might just want us to experience his gentleness, tenderness, and goodness.

God does not change. But because we are all different, God will often deal with us differently. He knows where we are at, and he knows what we need. So he treats us accordingly. Sometimes he needs to discipline us, and other times he just wants us to bathe in his loving embrace.

And we should be doing this sort of thing with other believers. Simply put, sometimes we need to put our arm around a fellow Christian and shower him or her with love. But sometimes they might need a proverbial kick in the backside and the words, ‘Get your act together man!’

There is an old saying that fits in here. Evidently it was first said by a non-believer in another context, but a Christianised version goes like this: ‘The prophet [or pastor] is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.’ The application of this should be easy enough to see.

If a brother is living in known sin, and refuses to repent, and has hardened his heart, then he is far too comfortable, and he needs to be afflicted, or given a hard word. But some believers are so broken and wounded and hurting that they need a loving embrace, with or without words.

As we interact with other believers, we need to be sensitive to where they are at. We need to be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in terms of how we deal with one another. Cookie-cutter Christianity is not how this works because we are all individuals with differing needs and issues.

I say all this because I just came upon two short videos. They were very different in lots of ways. One of them was a much-needed word from a Christian leader, while the other was simply one of those animal videos. They both appeared in a social media page, with the one immediately following the other, so I watched both, and felt it was providential that they were both there and in that particular order.

The first was a strong and very important word for the church about how we need to stop playing games with God. With another Christian leader overseas caught out, this time with the abuse of members, this speaker said that God is intent on cleaning up his church and doing a real thorough heavenly housecleaning.

God has always wanted the Bride of Christ to be spotless and without fault. We have fallen so far short, and God is bringing to light just where more and more Christians – especially leaders – are at. Such public scandals are always painful, but they are necessary.

Indeed, I have been praying daily for four such Christian leaders and their families who have been impacted by this in recent times. Their families and followers are certainly hurting right now, but more importantly, and worse yet, is how we drag God’s name through the mud so often. So this short video was much-needed, and one that I must hear.

But instantly after that, I watched the next video. It was about a dog who had been chained up for four years by a callous owner, and in various ways was abused, even if just by being locked up all the time. But thankfully a new owner got the dog and treated it SO very differently.

And of course with so many years of neglect and inattention, it took a while for this dog to know how to respond when for the first time in its life it was shown real love, care and affection.

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