Be Gentle with Bruised People

“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.” — Galatians 6:1 (KJV)

Sibbes doesn’t just talk about how Jesus treats us. He talks about how we should treat others, especially people who are struggling.

He starts with preachers and leaders. He says they should not make the Christian life sound impossible, piling up demands so that ordinary believers feel they can never measure up. He says they should speak plainly, not hide their meaning “in dark speeches.” Jesus himself used everyday words.

Then he says something everyone can apply. When someone needs correcting, we should lean towards gentleness. He has a funny picture for overreacting: don’t “kill a fly on the forehead with a beetle.” In Sibbes’s day a beetle was a heavy wooden mallet. If someone has a small fault, don’t smash them with a sledgehammer.

He also says:

“Misery should be a loadstone of mercy, not a footstool for pride to trample on.”

A loadstone is a magnet. When we see someone who is hurting or has failed, their pain should pull mercy out of us like a magnet, not give us a chance to feel superior and stand on them.

Think about school, group chats, friendship groups. When someone messes up, does everyone pile on? Do people share screenshots and laugh? Sibbes would say that is the opposite of Christ. Christ cherishes the smallest spark; we are often quick to snuff it out.

He also says, “we are debtors to the weak in many things.” We owe something to people who are weaker than us. We should be careful how we use our freedom, so that our example doesn’t drag others down. And we shouldn’t take up “Satan’s office”, as he calls it, of finding the worst motive behind other people’s good actions or spreading rumours about them.

Being gentle doesn’t mean pretending wrong is right. Paul says to restore someone who has fallen. But do it “in the spirit of meekness”, remembering that you could fall too.

If Jesus is this gentle with bruised reeds, his followers should be too.

One thing to do this week: this week, look out for someone who is struggling, left out or being laughed at, at school, in a group chat or in your family. Do one thing to be gentle with them: a kind message, sitting with them, or refusing to join in when others pile on.