June 23, 2023

 

The Blood of Jesus

 

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7

 

Who is a so-called “good” Christian? What does it look like for flawed people to follow a good God? Can we ever get it right? Can we ever reach a point where we can indeed judge others on their faith journey?

 

The United Methodist Church has suffered hundreds of disaffiliations in the district to which I’m a part of. Some churches have gone without any bitterness or harsh words. Others have gone – or stayed – with a battle that left all who participated wounded deeply in their desire to be right.

 

Disagreements happen among believers. And while the Bible warns us against division amongst ourselves, it’s something we do on a regular basis. We are so focused on being right that we lose sight of love and grace.

 

There are those who are determined to pull sentences from the Bible and use them as weapons with which to judge others. The more someone else makes them uncomfortable, the harsher the criticism. Aren’t we all guilty of that?

 

Recently a pastor I’ve known for years decided to leave the UMC and return to a previous church. His decision rests between he and God. Still, I can understand the bitterness of those left behind. On Sunday, they had a pastor passionate in his stated desire to remain in the UMC and by Wednesday he was resigning to leave the UMC. It’s just one more reason why we don’t put our faith in humans.

 

But what really pushed my button was the response of a young woman in the newly disaffiliated church where he’s headed. She took to Facebook to rant about those who felt the need to make comments about his leaving the UMC church to which he’d been assigned. She even called out those “Christians” – and, yes, she put the word in quotation marks – for saying anything beyond congratulations. In her mind, anyone who criticized the pastor wasn’t really a Christian.

 

Whoa! Wait a minute! Let’s step back and look at the facts and the obvious disappointment that comes when someone you trusted with your Biblical teaching has suddenly changed course.

 

No. People shouldn’t have gone to Facebook to voice their displeasure. As I said, his decision rests between him and God. No one else. God looks at the heart and He alone will judge the motivations at play.

 

But in failing to acknowledge the pain of others, this young woman raised a red flag over her own life. She ignored the lies, half-truths and fearmongering that led to her church’s disaffiliation vote. She swept under the rug her own flaws and her own quick temper to point out the flaws of others. Anyone else remember that Scripture? (Matthew 7:5)

 

We are all so busy being right that we’ve forgotten who we are – and who we are not. We don’t know the hearts of others, including other Christians. We don’t know the motivations. We don’t know if they are saved by Jesus or are still lost. We don’t.

 

What we do know is that James tells us salvation should lead to good works. We aren’t saved by good works but salvation should be evident in who we are and what we do. We should strive to show Jesus to others in how we live.

 

There are no winners when God’s kingdom divides itself in a misguided attempt to be “right.” None of us are “right” without the blood of Christ. We are all sinners. We all fall short of the glory of God. Perhaps if we spent more time remembering that and less time judging people we disagree with, all of us could indeed show others the light of Jesus in our lives.

August 21, 2019

Careless Words

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. – James 4:11

It was a casual comment. One of those meant – supposedly – to offer a suggestion. Hurt feelings. Allegedly. Some unnamed person or committee “should” have done things differently. Words said in a group of people who aren’t involved and have no knowledge of actual events.

Was it about gossip? Was it about concern? Only God truly knows. But one thing is certain: the words shouldn’t have been said.

The subject was immediately changed but the seeds of division were planted. This is how rumors and gossip get started. We offer public opinions on what might or might not be true. We judge situations that don’t involve us. We speak words when we should have remained silent.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a responsibility to guard our tongues and our attitudes. We should use our words to build others up. Why do we find it so difficult to stay in our lane and out of discussions that have nothing to do with us. Why do we insist on trying to destroy ourselves from within by spreading slander?

Careless words can cause harm far beyond what we could ever imagine. Choose your words carefully and, when in doubt, remain silent.

May 8, 2019

Do You Understand?

“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.” – Exodus 23:9

How quick we are to pick and choose which of the Old Testament verses we’ll apply to our thoughts and opinions. We look past those verses that differ from what we choose to believe. “Foreigners” are judged and rejected without an ounce of compassion.

We justify our low opinions based on the rantings of a few. Foreigners must work, we demand. They must refrain from sin, we spout. They must follow our laws and our opinions and take the lowliest of jobs and stay with their own kind and, well, you get it. We excuse our bad behavior, throwing out the instances of crime that happen. Oh, that we would condemn similar crimes among people like us.

The hard truth is that we will always reject those who are different from us. We aren’t interested in debate or compassion or actually reaching out to someone who merely needs a helping hand. We prefer to stay in our comfortable recliners, watching Fox News and using evil tongues to throw out Bible verses proclaiming a gospel we clearly don’t understand.

Jesus told us to love one another. How dare we think that He somehow meant we get to pick and choose who. Shame on us all.

October 29, 2018

Who Do You Judge?

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. – John 1:46

Jesus was beginning His earthly ministry and He already faced critics. Not because He’d said or done anything controversial at that point but because of where He was from.

Nazareth was a small town. It had maybe a few hundred people. And it had a history that had nothing to do with Jesus. It didn’t stop people from judging Him.

We do that to people all the time, don’t we? He’s got long hair so he must not have a good work ethic or be very smart. She’s a little on the pudgy side so she must sit around and eat all the time.

We judge people based on their address, their last name, their job, their income. We judge people based on their marital status, their children, their intellect. We decide who someone is without ever bothering to know them.

Jesus would soon stir things up. He was controversial. He turned the world upside down. Think about it. Jesus said if you wanted to be first, you had to be last. Jesus said that to be truly rich you had to sell everything and follow Him.

Jesus also said to trust, to believe, to see. He reached out to those others wouldn’t associate with. He was kind to the Samaritan, the prostitute, the tax collector. Jesus touched the leper, healed the sick, raised the dead. Jesus repeatedly went against Jewish law and custom. He was a radical.

We don’t see that now. We’re too focused on pulling out parts of His ministry to suit our own beliefs. You won’t see us hosting the poor in our homes. You don’t have to worry about us welcoming those who are contagious, those who are thieves, those who are of mixed race.

Yet, Jesus did. We claim to love Him but we don’t always act like it. We want Jesus. Or, at least, we want what He has to offer. But we aren’t planning to make any sacrifices, we have no intentions of getting our hands dirty, we aren’t going to give to those we don’t think deserve it.

Yet, Jesus did. While He walked this earth, Jesus reached out to the disenfranchised. He loved the discards. He loved me. And He loved you. He still does.

We are like the elder son who, in his own eyes, did everything right and was furious when his father welcomed his brother back into the fold. We don’t want to share what we have so freely been given. We cling tightly to what was only ever a gift for a time. We are Pharisees who see ourselves as lofty people who are worthy when, in truth, we are the worst of sinners.

We judge with our rules and regulations without bothering to look at the heart. We’re cold and hard in our self-righteousness. We are the people who look down on Jesus because of where He’s from rather than look up to Jesus for what He offers to us.

Nathanael, as you know, was actually Nathanael Bartholomew. He became one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He saw Jesus and, like the other disciples, gave up everything to follow the Messiah. Will you?

August 20, 2018

Fix Yourself First

“And when the people ask, ‘Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.’” – Jeremiah 5:19

We want to put God back in our schools. We want to put prayer back in our public meetings. We want to place carved images of the Ten Commandments on public property. We are convinced that doing these things will lead to a revival in our country. We know that doing these things will decrease violence, drug abuse, gang activity, and general unlawfulness.

But will any of those things change your heart? Will any of those things put God back in your home? Will any of those things cause you to rearrange your priorities so that God is first at all times, no matter the cost or sacrifice?

We want our world to change for the better but we don’t want to be part of that change. We call for others to do things. We pray “thy will be done” when we really mean “my will be done.”

We harden our hearts toward foreigners and those who don’t look like us. We brush aside those who face financial challenges, being quick to blame them while tightly holding on to what we have. We aren’t going to share. Nope. No way. They can work hard and get their own stuff.

We like our stuff. We cling to it as though we’ll have it forever. We act as though now is all there is. We believe that no one is more important than self. Well, maybe family so long as they exalt us.

We don’t see anything wrong with our behavior. We don’t recognize the double-standard. We’re so busy condemning abortion and homosexuality that we miss love and mercy, grace and compassion. We judge what isn’t ours to judge. We cast out people that God loves. We call ourselves justified. Our sins call us condemned.

Except for the blood of Jesus. We’re quick to point that out. He saved us and we’re headed to heaven – along with everyone we like. We can’t imagine that God wants to save murderers and rapists, white-trash and foreigners. We act as though God couldn’t possibly want anyone who isn’t like us. Does anyone else see the hypocrisy? Jesus ate with tax collectors, fallen women, those who were poor and cast out. The Pharisees were furious. Jesus didn’t care.

But we care. We want all the perks of being Christ followers without all the dirtiness of associating with “sinners.” We want all our toys, our electronics, our nice cars, our big houses, without having to sacrifice anything for the Church or orphans or widows or foreigners. We are like young children yelling “mine!” even though everything really belongs to God.

Some people don’t believe the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is relevant today. I would invite them to read Jeremiah. This great prophet warns God’s people of His coming wrath but they didn’t believe him. They couldn’t understand how God could possibly let His people be captured by Babylon. They kept thinking God would change his mind, even when they refused to change their hearts and their behavior.

Do you want to fix our country? Do you want to turn it back toward Christ? Then start at home. Pray without ceasing. Live with compassion and kindness. Share freely. Give to God first, trusting Him with all your needs. Be His light in this dark world. Stop waiting for someone else to lead the way. Start where you are. Change your heart. And watch how powerfully God shows up to change your life.

July 14, 2018

Double Standards Anyone?

The LORD detests differing weights, and dishonest scales do not please him.

– Proverbs 20:23

Come to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

– James 4:8

Okay, let’s all get our excuses out. “Everybody else does it.” “Well, so-and-so did it!” “I was just going along with everyone else.” “Well, it’s not against the law.” “I can handle it.”

Did you think of a few more? I’m sure you probably did. When it comes to making excuses for our actions, attitudes and words, we’re quick to justify ourselves.

Except there is no justification for doing something we know is wrong, no matter how many people do the same thing. There also is no justification for judging two people by two different standards.

We judge people we don’t know based on standards we don’t uphold. We don’t see it that way, of course. We’re too high up in our opinions to actually try and listen and understand another point of view. We shut their voices out. We’re disgusted by their views. We’re so busy being “right” that we can’t see how wrong we are.

Do you want to start a fight on Facebook? Just mention President Trump’s past marital indiscretions. The defense that comes from good Christians? Well, look at Bill Clinton.

Indeed, let’s look. Does one person’s bad behavior justify the bad behavior of another person? No. It doesn’t. Nor does it justify the sad fact that people who condemned Clinton – understandably – now make excuses for Trump. It’s called a double standard.

We’ve used it for years in politics and in social circles. Someone who is poor and an alcoholic is called every kind of name. No compassion is offered at all. Someone who is rich and an alcoholic gets offered sympathy and rehab and a hush-hush about it. News flash: An alcoholic is an alcoholic no matter how much money is involved.

It’s why for so long children in middle-class and upper-class homes were over looked when it came to abuse and neglect. We assumed it couldn’t happen in “good” neighborhoods like our own. We judged based on economics and appearance rather than fact and heart.

We do the same to justify our own behavior. Everyone fudges on their expense accounts, so what’s the big deal? Well, it was just a little white lie to make someone look good. It’s a cut-throat world and you’ve got to “get” someone before they do the same to you. My child has worked hard and deserves to be on the team, in the performance, or in the group. Besides, I give a lot of money to your organization. That can go away, you know.

Does any of this sound familiar? You’d be furious at anyone who did these things to you. Why do you think it’s okay to do them to someone else? Where did we ever get the idea that it was okay to judge with a double standard? Certainly not from God.

July 13, 2018

Do You Reflect Jesus?

“They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.” – John 16:2-3

When someone slays their children and claims they were doing the will of God, we know they are mentally ill, evil or both. But how many times do we “slay” others through our words, actions, motives, and claim we are doing God’s will?

How often do we offer opinions that aren’t from a place of love? How often do we judge as though we somehow have authority from above?

Don’t be so quick to think this doesn’t apply to you. It does. It applies to all of us. We use God and His Word as an excuse to judge others, to look down on those who have stumbled, to condemn what we don’t understand. We want to be comfortable and because of that we pull away from anything or anyone that isn’t like us.

Have you ever sat next to a homeless person during a church program? It isn’t always a pleasant smell. But it’s exactly what Jesus would do.

Do you seek out the recovering drug addict, the scarlet woman, the man who stole from his company? Do you welcome them to a place of grace and mercy or do you continue to shun them long after they have repented of their sins? Be careful how you answer. God just might challenge you to your lofty ideals.

Do you know that one of the loneliest places you can ever be is at a church service or at a church event? While you’re merrily visiting with friends and family, while you’re sitting with your people at your table or pew, there are others searching for a place to fit in. Do you call them over? Do you welcome them? Or do you assign that task to a pastor or staff member? Jesus would seek them out, include them, ask them about themselves. Do you?

We are a diverse group, we Christians. We come in all colors, shapes and sizes. We come with a wide variety of income levels, from barely getting by to beyond affluent. We come with a diverse set of skills and education, some acquired more from life than school. Yet we still seek to put people in a box labeled “like me” and, when we can’t, we shun them as being less and unworthy.

We are the ones who are unworthy. Jesus said that those who wanted to be first, must be last. He said that those who truly sought to follow Him would be servants. But we don’t want to be servants. We want to be leaders and judges, comfortable in our little cliques. Jesus wasn’t in a clique. He welcomed everyone.

It takes so very little to offer a smile and words of kindness. It doesn’t cost anything to invite someone new to your table or pew. How blessed we might be if we quelled our judgmental attitudes and really loved someone as they are. We are not called to be judges. We are called to love others, whether they are “loveable” or not.

Do we truly know and love God or are we merely using Him as an excuse to do evil, to tout our own agendas, to bring power and glory to ourselves? Live your life as though Jesus truly is walking by your side. Would your words, actions and attitude make Him praise you for reflecting His light to a dark world? Or would He condemn you for slaying those who are desperate for a living Savior?

February 15, 2018

Be Careful How You Judge

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. – Deuteronomy 15:11

Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered. – Proverbs 21:13

She is a good person. A prayer warrior. Someone who is generous with friends and family. She is quick to smile and devoted to her church.

She only turns ugly when it comes to the poor. She has no sympathy or compassion. “They should get a job,” she spews out. “If they couldn’t afford children, they shouldn’t have had them! I’m not going to support them.” Need I go on?

This is a woman who went from her Daddy’s house to her husband’s house. She has never, ever supported herself. Her “work” has been to sometimes help her husband at their business. Her child is an adult. And, yes, she hires someone to clean her house.

I’m not faulting her for her life. As I said, she truly is a wonderful person. But that hard heart!? It sure does dull her testimony.

Before you fault her or justify her words, take a moment to consider yourself. We are all a product of our upbringing, our place of birth, our choices. Our personalities weigh in, with some people weathering storms with little impact while others are destroyed. Why the differences? Does anyone but God know?

Have you ever had someone tell you to “get over” something? Have you ever cried out at the unfairness of heartbreak or job loss or misdirection? Have you ever begged God for answers, for help, for comfort during the storm?

We’re not so different, you and I and those we condemn for their station in life. I doubt they chose to be poor or homeless or addicted. It doesn’t make them bad people. It doesn’t make them lazy. Some of the hardest working people I know work more than one job trying to feed their families and keep a roof over their head. One illness, one extra bill, can send them on a spiral to financial disaster.

Where is our compassion? Why do we think we somehow have the right to judge their story when we have walked a different path? Where is the grace and mercy God has shown us?

I am not excusing those who truly are too lazy to work. I’m not telling anyone to enable someone in the throws of addiction or bad decision making. What I am saying is that none of us have the right to judge someone else’s story.

Watch your words. If it isn’t kind, don’t say it. Be careful how you judge. Let the world see Jesus in what you say and do.

April 22, 2016

God Provides Justice

18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” -- Luke 18:1-8

Some people have a great faith in our judicial system. I’m not one of them.

I realize it’s impossible for judges and juries to always make the right decision. But I also believe our judicial system is flawed, especially when it comes to those who can’t speak for themselves.

I’m talking about children. Right now we are reeling from a judge’s decision to reconcile a baby with his mother. I guess I just believe that a mother who either failed to protect her baby (and never reported injuries) or abused that baby, should never get him back. Ever.

The judge has a different opinion. Stories of children returned to abusive homes only to be permanently injured or killed keep running through my head. Not this baby, I beg God. Not this sweet child!

Years ago a couple divorced when their child was still a baby. The mother didn’t want custody and so his daddy raised him. Sometimes the mother would get him on the weekend. Sometimes she cancelled at the last minute because something better came along. His daddy was his constant caregiver.

Years later she met someone else and had another child. Suddenly she decided she wanted her first little boy to live with her. That child was ripped from a good home, against his wishes. Why? Because a mother who didn’t want him changed her mind?

In both cases, the courts put the wishes of the mother above the best interests of the child. Yeah. I know. Outside looking in. Except I know these cases well and it breaks my heart.

That little boy lived with his mother until the day he was old enough to decide for himself where he would live. He’s back with his Dad, where he should have been all along. It’s an answer to prayer and we are thankful.

The other little boy, that baby, well, all we can do is pray for his safety. We continue to pray that God will intervene. This baby who raises his tiny hand in worship, this child who is learning to love Jesus, should have that chance to serve His God.

I don’t plan to back away from this. I don’t plan to go quietly. None of us do. We want to bug God, to plead with Him, to ask for justice for this little boy. He deserves protection. We all do.

We serve a God of justice and mercy. He takes care of His children, especially the little ones who have no voice of their own.

January 19, 2016

Look In The Mirror First

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” -- Matthew 7:1-2

The other day a man loudly proclaimed his upset at his ex-wife, with whom he still shares a house. She had accused him of stealing from her and, of course, it just wasn’t true. She is insane, the man insisted. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

I’ve not doubt his ex probably is crazy. She didn’t just get that way. But that wasn’t what made me shake my head in disbelief. This same man had accused me of horrible things, based entirely on the assertions of someone he barely knows. It was easy to latch on to the lies. He knew better.

And here he was just a few weeks later experiencing the same type of unfair accusations -- and expecting sympathy from me. I held my tongue, though admittedly not because I was wise. I was just amazed at his audacity. He was oblivious. He didn’t see that what his ex-wife had done to him, he had done to me.

Isn’t that often how it is? We can’t see that plank in our own eye because we’re so busy pointing out the speck in someone else’s eye. I wonder what it would take for us to realize that speck we see is really a reflection of ourselves rather than a mark on the other person?

It is so easy to see the flaws in others and determine how best for them to fix those flaws. It keeps us from focusing on fixing ourselves. Or even realizing that we need to be fixed.

We all have flaws. We all have areas where we fall short of the glory of God. Each of us should consider first how we can best fix ourselves and leave the fixing of others to God.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Be Very Careful When You Judge

So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.

-- Romans 14:10

The comment was meant to be a cutting putdown. Her nose was elevated high and she was passing judgment on what she believed was an inappropriate sign in front of a church. I thought it was hilarious. So did a wonderful pastor I know (not associated with that particular church) and countless other Christian friends.

My initial reaction was anger. I know. Another sin. But I really disliked her attitude that somehow God doesn’t have a sense of humor. I don’t believe we should always have to bow down in seriousness before God. It doesn’t mean we don’t love and respect God. It means we do love and respect our Creator. He knows us. He knows our hearts. And He takes great joy in us.

That kind of attitude really turns people away from Jesus. Who wants to worship and serve a God who never laughs? Who wants to bow down before a God who is all dictatorial and lacks compassion? No one. So aren’t we truly blessed that God is kind and loving, compassionate and caring. He sees us -- flaws and all -- and loves us. How awesome is that?

Maybe my attitude it born of a relationship with God that is deeper than anything I’ve ever experienced with another human being. Yes, I thank Him for the many blessings He bestows on me. And, yes, I am very aware of His power and His position in all creation. But I also recognize Him as Father. He is my Yahweh.

So I talk to Him about the brilliant sunsets He creates. I tell Him my deepest secrets. I shares jokes with Him. I give Him my inexpert opinion and listen -- I think -- to Him laugh. He picks me up when I stumble and fall. He cheers me on and sometimes He’s the only One who believes I really can do what He’s called me to do. He gets on to me when I take a wrong turn. He forgives me when I mess up -- again.

He is everything to me so I get quite offended if someone dares to say that I or my friends are somehow not showing the appropriate respect to our God. I could get ugly. I could point out sins and flaws in this person. She is no better than the rest of us, no matter how she may want to appear. But I refuse to stoop that low. That’s getting in to God’s territory and He surely doesn’t need my nose where it doesn’t belong.

I’ll just say that the times when I’ve noticed others being particularly ugly to fellow Christians is when those being ugly were struggling with dark sin in their own lives. It’s easier to lash out than to look inside. I’ve been there. It’s not a happy place to be.

So don’t be so quick to look down on other Christians as being less than you think they should be. If they’re doing wrong, God will handle it. And if you’re doing wrong, He’ll handle that too.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Ignore Criticism

"I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." -- 1 Corinthians 3:3-4

There is one thing in life that is almost guaranteed: Someone will always criticize whatever you do. That's just how it goes. Sometimes the criticism will roll right off. Other times it will singe the spirit, leaving a scar as a permanent reminder. Either way, it does no good to worry about it.

We are all so different in our likes and dislikes, in our motivations and goals. God made us each unique and called us to our own special tasks. It is those differences that sometimes cause us to disagree over things that seem so very important at the time. Especially in families.

A friend said her family had worked it out quite simply. Her sister, who has a take-charge personality, takes care of their father. She makes sure he gets to all his doctor's appointments and does everything necessary for his care. When she isn't available or needs help, she calls my friend or their brother and tells them what to do. My friend said it's not that they don't care, it's just that they realized three siblings couldn't equally be in charge without fussing and stepping on each other. So they follow the sister's lead. Oh, they all see their father several times a week. They all take food and help around his house. But she's in charge. It seems to work well for all of them.

Another friend organizes her parents' doctors' appointments and sees to them. She resents it sometimes. Their are four children but she's the only one living right here. She wishes her siblings would come for more than just a social visit. She wants them to help, no matter how impractical it might seem. Yet, the smallest question makes her angry. A difference of opinion, mingled with stress of trying to do the right thing.

The truth is we're all just trying to do the right thing. We're muddling along, making decisions, praying that we're following God and that everything will turn out alright. We're pulled in many directions and struggling to keep up with all the demands each day brings. We're bound to make mistakes. We're bound to do things differently than someone else might. So what?

Paul was right. It doesn't matter what other people think. God knows the motivations of our hearts. He understands why we make the choices we make and why we do the things we do. He will judge us rightly and justly. All we really can do is pray, follow God as best we can, and try to shut out the critical voices that always seem to know a better way.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

  Judgment Turns Back
        -- Every Time

"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." -- Romans 2:1

Some days I look around and see judges everywhere. It frightens me. Not because I fear their judgmental glances and backstabbing words. No, I'm afraid because I know what God does to those who judge others. Been there, done that, as the saying goes. And I don't ever, ever want to go back there again.

I really don't know why we sometimes think we know better than anyone else. I don't understand how we can rationalize our sins as being less than those of another. I don't know why we think we can turn our superior noses upward and look down on people who are struggling with their own sins and its consequences. But we do.

God, however, has a way of making sure we develop compassion and humility. Like the man who quickly judged and condemned the mistake of a fellow church member. He refused to extend forgiveness even though the sinner expressed regret and vowed to live a different life. Now, that same man watches in helpless agony as his child makes a similar mistake and suffers the consequences. Somehow I doubt that man will be as quick to judge next time.

Or take the woman who values her lifestyle almost as much as she values her husband and children. She watches her sibling struggle financially, making bad mistakes and stumbling every time he seems to get his life together. I see the future so clearly and it breaks my heart. She doesn't understand that she and her husband are but one layoff or one major illness away from the same fate. She'll learn compassion one day. Guaranteed.

I used to think I had it all together. I had a good life filled with good things like a prestigious address, a status car and awesome vacations. One phone call and grief destroyed everything I thought I valued. Now, people look down at me because I no longer strive for financial gain at the cost of relationships. I spend time studying the Bible, both alone and with others, as I seek His will. He is permanent, solid and strong. He is dependable, no matter what comes my way. I learned the hard way to cling to that rock.

That's the thing about judging others. It always comes back on you. Always. No exceptions. God has called us to be compassionate and kind, forgiving and welcoming to others. It doesn't mean accepting sin. It means acknowledging that we all sin. I means showing others the same level of forgiveness that God has shown and continues to show to each of us. It's a lesson we all learn, one way or another.

Do You Judge?

"But you -- who are you to judge your neighbor?" -- James 4:12b

One of the things I love most about the church I attend now is that no one seems to care what anyone else wears. I look around and see everything from jeans to suits to fancy dresses and everything in between. What I don't see is anyone looking down a snobby nose or casting a judging glare from the pulpit.

I once had a pastor who preached every spring on how to dress, singling out women. Apparently, how females dressed caused young men to sin. I would look around the conservative, dressed in their Sunday best congregation, and wonder what he could possibly be thinking. Still, I agonized every Sunday over what I would wear. It was ridiculous. My clothes are all fairly conservative. I tried to joke about it. Many older women were furious and determined. Pantsuits were their norm and they weren't about to change. Young girls stopped coming to church in droves.

We were judged by what we did or did not wear. Does God expect us to wear dresses, pantyhose and high heels to church every Sunday? Does Jesus love us less if we dress in jeans when we worship Him? Nope. He doesn't care.

It's not about how we dress. It's about our heart. It's about how we feel about Jesus when we gather together with others. We aren't supposed to judge. That includes pastors judging how people dress. God wants all His children to come to Him, no matter how they are dressed or where they are in their lives. We are all welcome at His altar. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you.