The Secret Record

A wealthy man in England, it is said, decided to ship his Rolls-Royce to the continent for a driving vacation. After touring Europe for a while, he experienced engine trouble and cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England for a suggestion as to what he should do.

The company immediately sent a mechanic, who repaired the car and flew back to England, leaving the driver to continue his holiday. The old chap, wondering how much such treatment would cost him, wrote to Rolls-Royce to ask how much he owed.

He received the following letter: “Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce.” This company knew its car wasn’t perfect, but it had a reputation to uphold.

Even Christians with the highest standards have a few flaws on their record. There’s no use in hiding the fact. No Christian is perfect, but all Christians are forgiven.

We as caregivers can offer hope to our ailing fellow Christians by identifying with their weaknesses. As James 5:16 says, “Confess your faults one to another” (KJV). No one is alone in failure or need. When we admit that truth, we can enjoy a two-way prayer for restoration—as the second part of James 5:16 says: “and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (KJV).