Last night I remembered thinking about another with a
critical spirit, saying to myself, “What’s wrong with her? Why can’t she just
be the ‘adult’ in the situation?” The memory was painful, the regret was real.
Why? Because when I found myself in a
very similar set of circumstances, I reacted in much the same way as she had
acted. As my words echoed in my own mind, I confessed my critical spirit, asking
God to forgive me, and to teach me to be a person of kindness and mercy. Judging happens to us all. We see a child out
of control and think that the parent is failing. We see a marriage in crisis
and wonder why the couple doesn’t just ‘fix it.’
Jesus teaches us to think differently. He says “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, NIV) He goes on to use
that famous hyperbolic illustration of a person trying to get a speck of
sawdust out of another’s eye while have a post in his own eye! When we see what
appears to be failure, Jesus is not teaching us to turn a blind eye or excuse
it. Genuine love seeks the best and speaks the truth. Is it a loving choice to
watch a person going full speed towards their own destruction and say nothing?
The answer is obvious.
How do we speak to others? Are we harsh? Do we talk down to
them from a lofty perch that supposes our own perfection? Or, do we come
alongside as a brother, patient, understanding, offering to listen, and not
simply praying for the person, but praying with
them for God’s salvation?
Our model is none other than God as He works with you and
me. He is a God of amazing love, merciful,
and redemptive! We know this and are comforted by it. When we fail, when we are
willful; He does not sweep down upon us
to slap us sideways in a divine fit of rage. He does not rail on us, condemning
us as defective or stupid! Instead, the Spirit comes with persistent
conviction, urging us to turn around. He shows us the Way and offers
forgiveness. And, He leads us through the process of spiritual growth that
changes us from the inside out.
The balancing truth, however, is this: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A
man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that
nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the
Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at
the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
(Galatians 6:7-9, NIV) He will not wave
away our willful sins as inconsequential. He convicts us and calls us to shape our daily
lives around His will and in so doing, we find life that the best possible. If
we love Him, we obey Him and from our obedience grows a rich crop of blessings.
Jesus’ words that forbid harsh judgment, quoted a moment
ago, are among the most abused and misunderstood words in the Bible. In our
culture of tolerance, they are often used to remove all accountability, to
excuse all kinds of choices that are plainly wrong. Jesus never asked us to
suspend our good sense, to set aside a discerning heart that sees the truth, or
to refuse to seek positive change. What He asks of us, as His disciples, is to
be kind and patient, not quick to condemn, ready to step into the messes of
humanity to work to make them better.
The Message translates His well-known words this way: “Don’t
pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of
course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of
boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be
oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me
wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this
whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou
part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face,
and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor." (Matthew
7:1-5, The Message)
Got a brother in the Lord who’s failing? Love him to life,
starting with prayer for understanding. Meet him where he is.
Wrestling with how to help that person who keeps making the same
self-destructive choice?
Frame your
response with loving kindness that seeks transformation without condemnation.
Here is a word from the Word. "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. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you
think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You
are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you
will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare
yourself to anyone else." (Galatians 6:1-4, NLT)
_________
When darkness deepens the path unsure
The sun is hidden by the storms
I look to heaven and cry to Thee
O God be here with me
In ev'ry breath ev'ry joy and tear
Ev'ry passing hour let me know You're near
In life in death for eternity
O God be here with me
When faith is shaken when fears surround
My feet will stand on solid ground
In ev'ry season my song will be
O God be here with me
And in that moment we're face to face
I will not need these eyes of faith
Forever after God I will see
That You've always been with me
Oh You've always been with me
O God be here with me
O God be here with me
Nick Herbert | Phil Wickham | Tim Hughes
© 2015 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Tim Hughes Designee (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Phil Wickham Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
CCLI License # 810055
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