Care-Fronting: Focus on Facts and Descriptions
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path."
Galatians 6:1 NLT
Thoughts for Today
When care-fronting a love one struggling with a life-controlling problem, focus on the facts, not on your personal conclusions.
It is so easy to see some and assume more, but it is vital to focus on observations and facts instead of what you think or imagine. Make statements about what you have actually seen and heard. Do not voice conclusions you personally have drawn.
Consider this …
Another element of care-fronting is to focus on descriptions, not on judgments. Your role is not to judge the behaviors as good or bad—the facts speak for themselves. Keep the lines of communication open by never placing a value judgment on the other person's behavior. By describing rather than judging, you put yourself in a neutral role of reporting on what has been seen rather than judging that behavior as right or wrong.
John 8:3-11 teaches much about care-fronting. A woman was caught in adultery. The self-righteous religious teachers and Pharisees brought her to Jesus. To help her? No. They weren't loving or caring toward her. They wanted to trap Jesus and, in the process, cruelly judged and condemned the woman.
Jesus didn't accuse her. There was no question the woman had sinned. She knew that and so did everyone there. Jesus didn't condemn her, but neither did he ignore the fact of her sin. He had a kind and respectful attitude. "Go and sin no more."
Prayer …
Father, help me to stop letting my imagination get carried away and to focus only on what I know about this situation. And when I communicate with my loved one, help me not to judge. Give me a heart to love and help as Jesus did. In his name ...
These thoughts were drawn from … Concerned Persons: Because We Need Each Other by Jimmy Ray Lee, D.Min. This group is designed for the many people who have a current or past relationship with a person who has a life-controlling problem.
- It emphasizes the need we all have for each other.
- It helps people focus on Christ rather than on the problem.
- It serves as a powerful evangelistic tool by providing a way to minister to people's felt needs and then pointing them to Christ.
Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a study for individuals or couples.
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