An animal will do all it can to protect its young, even fight off an enemy. As humans, we have the same reaction to protect our children, not just physically, but in every other way. It is an instinctual response. When our children are young, we look out for their physical safety so they won’t be injured (or worse) and we protect them from seeing or hearing inappropriate material that could harm their innocent minds.
As Christians, there is something else which we are supposed to protect. Eph. 4:3 states, “Endeavouring (to make effort) to keep (guard from loss or injury) the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” I honestly think we don’t fully understand what it means to be ‘one’ with anyone. Perhaps our human finite minds cannot fully comprehend it.
The two will become one flesh. (Gen. 2:24), …that they may be one, even as we are. (John ), For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (1Jn 5:7), For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. (1 Cor. 12:12) We are one body under Christ with anyone who is saved by grace and has given their hearts, minds, and lives to the Lord. That means we are to make effort to guard from loss or injury that ‘one body’ or family in which we belong. Here are a few questions to think about:
If I speak to a ‘brother’ am I ensuring my words are guarding them from injury?
If I speak about a ‘brother’ am I ensuring my words are guarding them from loss of reputation?
Am I careful not to hint to other people at things that can hurt my ‘brother’ (whether suspected or verified)?
Am I sure my actions are not aggressively or passively hurting my ‘brother’?
Am I verbally protecting my ‘brothers’ from all denominations worldwide?
There are Biblical ways to deal with sins and faults of each other, but that is not a frequent action, and I'm not writing about that aspect. This post is about giving our best effort to protect our family from undue loss and injury. Maybe we should just start speaking to others and about others like they are our children. Maybe then our instinctual response would be to protect.