Building Up or Tearing Down

"Your words have stood men on their feet; you have helped the tottering to stand." (Job 4:4)



Someone sent me an essay today that was headed by this verse. I was immediately convicted. I come from an incredibly open, loving family! We share everything and speak openly. Unfortunately, this also means we criticize each other a lot. Now, it's never meant to be in a hurtful way, it's always meant to help the other put their best foot forward. However, this tendency, coupled with the tendency to get angry too quickly, can be pretty demoralising. When you need bucking up, you really don't want to hear what you need to do to improve yourself.

I promised myself long ago that I didn't ever want my children to feel that they just couldn't meet my standards. I didn't want them to ever feel like I saw them as failures for just normal challenges of life. However, I find myself all too often rebuking and instructing when I should probably be comforting or loving.

How do you help the tottering to stand? It's certainly not by helpfully telling him it would be easier to stand if he were thinner; or held his feet differently; or hadn't gotten himself tottering in the first place! Instead, you give him a hand until he's steady on his feet. Lord, make us parents whose words stand men on their feet and help the tottering to stand.