James 4:11-12
My friends, don’t say cruel things
about others! If you do, or if you condemn others, you are condemning
God’s Law. And if you condemn the Law, you put yourself above the Law
and refuse to obey either it or God who gave it. God is our judge, and
he can save or destroy us. What right do you have to condemn anyone?
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Today
is the first day of public school for children in our state. I have
every confidence that there were more than a few children who entered
the doors of their classrooms with at least a little trepidation…and
probably even MORE mothers who tearfully left them. I still remember
one mother who stood at the door to my classroom…tears pouring down her
face…and said, “This is SO hard!” I knew that her child would be
perfectly fine…and so would she. I could see a part of the “story” that
she could not…I knew that within five minutes of her departure, her
child would probably be playing with the other children – as happy as a
clam. But it was hard to convince this mom…and there may have been a
little “eye-rolling” on my part!
I have to admit…as I’ve
watched our little ones begin their school “career” one-by-one, I have
better understood the tug at a parent’s heartstrings when these “babies”
step out into the big world. I see their side of the “story.” I know
what it’s like as a teacher for parents to say, “You just don’t
understand”…and I know how that feels for the parents. I also know what
it’s like for a child to have some natural apprehension about an
unfamiliar setting and new people. I “get” all sides. And this has
been a good lesson for me in why criticism and condemnation is a bad
idea.
So often, we only see our “side” of things. And that’s
where we get into trouble. Whether we operate out of fear,
misinformation, or just a judgmental spirit, we are sometimes
condescending and hypercritical of other people and situations...and
often, we don’t have a complete picture that includes all of the
information. More importantly, we fail to realize that when we do this
to others, we are doing the same to God. So when we criticize the person
who we think is “lazy, different, or worthless,” we are essentially
saying that God does not have the power or desire to make changes in
these people…that He intentionally creates “junk”…and this is simply not
the case.
When we are judgmental of another person for their
choices…or because of their size and appearance, race, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, struggles of some kind, socio-economic status,
or even their spiritual beliefs…we are declaring that God created
divisions among us and surely must love us more than the other guy. And we should know better!
As
the late Maya Angelou said (and I’m paraphrasing)…“When we know better,
we must do better.” If we trust God and believe that He has created us
and loves each of us equally, we must act like it. This doesn’t leave
any room for criticism and condemnation. Just as surely as the first
day of school will come and go and all will settle into their roles and
routines, we must trust God to show each of us our “role” and
routine…and leave the “fixing” to Him. We.can.do.this! Are you with me?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label avoiding conflict judgment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label avoiding conflict judgment. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 7, 2015
Colossians 1:24-25
You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
“Did you get my message?” This is a common question frequently asked by many of us…in many contexts… Did you receive my text? ~ Did you hear the voice mail message I left you? ~ Do you understand what I am saying to you? ~ ARE YOU LISTENING?
When it comes to the message of Jesus, we who have committed our lives to following and serving Him are to convey His teachings, sentiments, and desires for mankind to the world at large. And as Paul points out, we often get distracted or diverted. We are so busy making a point rather than making a difference that we fail to keep the main thing the main thing! (How do you like how I managed to work TWO clichés into one sentence there?!)
Many people are so busy promoting their own agendas and trying to instill fear in others that they have not only distorted the Message…they have quit listening to God for themselves. Rather than emphasize that Jesus died on the cross for ALL OF US…they would rather promote an “us vs. them” mentality – toward people of other religious beliefs, races, ethnicities, political viewpoints, sexual orientations, economic levels, and more.
Take a good hard look at Jesus…He practiced NONE of these behaviors. He did not say to the woman at the well, “You’re unworthy to talk to Me.” He did not look at those who were mentally ill and say, “I want nothing to do with you.” Jesus didn’t look down on the poor and afflicted, the Samaritans, or the tax collectors. Jesus did not choose one person or group of people over another!
If we want to be like Jesus…if we truly want to be His messengers…we have to follow His example. We have to stop sharing gossip, propaganda, and untruths. We have to start being kind to ALL people. We have to quit judging others. We must start loving every person and seeing him/her as God’s creation…worthy of that same incredible gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ which we have received. This is not the same as condoning sinful actions. Study Jesus…you will see how He made the distinction. We must learn to do this in our own daily living.
The Apostle Paul was exactly right…You don’t walk away from a gift like Jesus, and there is no other Message but His. Are you grounded and steady in a bond of trust, constantly tuned in and focused on Him? Are you truly a messenger of HIS Message? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
“Did you get my message?” This is a common question frequently asked by many of us…in many contexts… Did you receive my text? ~ Did you hear the voice mail message I left you? ~ Do you understand what I am saying to you? ~ ARE YOU LISTENING?
When it comes to the message of Jesus, we who have committed our lives to following and serving Him are to convey His teachings, sentiments, and desires for mankind to the world at large. And as Paul points out, we often get distracted or diverted. We are so busy making a point rather than making a difference that we fail to keep the main thing the main thing! (How do you like how I managed to work TWO clichés into one sentence there?!)
Many people are so busy promoting their own agendas and trying to instill fear in others that they have not only distorted the Message…they have quit listening to God for themselves. Rather than emphasize that Jesus died on the cross for ALL OF US…they would rather promote an “us vs. them” mentality – toward people of other religious beliefs, races, ethnicities, political viewpoints, sexual orientations, economic levels, and more.
Take a good hard look at Jesus…He practiced NONE of these behaviors. He did not say to the woman at the well, “You’re unworthy to talk to Me.” He did not look at those who were mentally ill and say, “I want nothing to do with you.” Jesus didn’t look down on the poor and afflicted, the Samaritans, or the tax collectors. Jesus did not choose one person or group of people over another!
If we want to be like Jesus…if we truly want to be His messengers…we have to follow His example. We have to stop sharing gossip, propaganda, and untruths. We have to start being kind to ALL people. We have to quit judging others. We must start loving every person and seeing him/her as God’s creation…worthy of that same incredible gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ which we have received. This is not the same as condoning sinful actions. Study Jesus…you will see how He made the distinction. We must learn to do this in our own daily living.
The Apostle Paul was exactly right…You don’t walk away from a gift like Jesus, and there is no other Message but His. Are you grounded and steady in a bond of trust, constantly tuned in and focused on Him? Are you truly a messenger of HIS Message? Isn’t it time you were?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 16, 2014
2 Timothy 2:22-26
Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God. Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Each night at Vacation Bible School (VBS), the leader talks to the children during the opening activities about our mission project. This year, we are collecting an offering to feed hungry families in Costa Rica. During the crafts class, we are coloring fabric tote bags that will hold food for distribution to these families. Our Costa Rica mission team will deliver these bags and distribute the food later this summer.
As leaders in countless VBS assemblies across the country probably do, ours has challenged the boys to out-give the girls in this mission fund raising. For the first two nights, the boys “out-gave” the girls by a margin of almost 2 to 1. Last night, the tables turned, and the girls donated almost twice as much as the boys. So our leader declared the girls the “winners”, and a shriek like only little girls can emit pierced the Family Life Center. Many of us - adults AND children - covered our ears in defense. And Timothy burst into tears.
“We’re LOSERS!” he cried. “She said the boys are LOSERS!” Big tears poured down his face as he buried his head in my lap. I tried to console him. I tried to explain that this was not what our leader meant. We are ALL winners because Jesus loves us, and we are doing a GOOD THING as we use our money to buy food for these hungry families. Timothy has been concerned for the Costa Rican children. Each night at VBS he has asked me about them…how will they manage without food (we’re going to feed them), aren’t they lonely and sad (no, they will be happy to get our bags filled with food, and they will know that someone loves them – that Jesus loves them). And now, he feels like a loser…a failure.
We’re working on this. I know that there will come a time when Timothy will understand that this is just a game. When he gets older, he will probably revel in this competition – and “beating” his sister at anything and everything! But for now, this little guy is truly disturbed to think that he and the other boys are “losers”. This breaks my heart…and opens my eyes.
As I read today’s scripture passage, I couldn’t help but replay this incident in my head. Where have we gotten involved in seemingly innocent conversations and activities that stir up trouble we didn’t ever imagine? Where have our thoughts and deeds been insensitive, sparked an argument, and truly been inane to begin with? In the case of our churches and money, it strikes me as rather curious that we tend to emphasize “giving” so much, while ministering to many people who barely have two nickels to rub together. We say we want the hungry, the homeless and the downtrodden to join us…to feel the love of Jesus in our midst. And then we tell them that they need them to “give until it hurts” - both figuratively and literally.
We “step on toes” in numerous ways…from promoting our own agendas to expounding on social and political views to gossip and discrimination of all kinds. Sometimes we don’t have a clue that we are doing this – or hurting someone else. Other times, I think we know it (at least a little bit)…and for some reason, we simply don’t seem to care. We go right ahead and do it anyway.
Last night when I took the children home, Timothy asked, “The boys will win tomorrow night…right?” I told him that honestly, I don’t know. But I reminded him that he is ALWAYS a winner…every single day…that in Jesus’ eyes, he can NEVER lose. I hope it was enough, should the little girls rally again tonight and pour on the pressure! But I know for sure that I will be more aware of the ways that I might be involved (even innocently) in controversies, judgments, words and actions that could be viewed as divisive or hurtful.
I will deliberately seek to operate in grace, mercy and compassion for others… to see things through their eyes…and to ask God to show me how to minister out of His abundance and mature righteousness. We can learn a lot from the tender heart of a 5-year-old. Maybe it’s time a lot of us returned to this perspective in our own lives and saw things a little more literally…with fewer gray areas. Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:14 that “God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” Are you childlike in your faith and discipleship? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God. Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Each night at Vacation Bible School (VBS), the leader talks to the children during the opening activities about our mission project. This year, we are collecting an offering to feed hungry families in Costa Rica. During the crafts class, we are coloring fabric tote bags that will hold food for distribution to these families. Our Costa Rica mission team will deliver these bags and distribute the food later this summer.
As leaders in countless VBS assemblies across the country probably do, ours has challenged the boys to out-give the girls in this mission fund raising. For the first two nights, the boys “out-gave” the girls by a margin of almost 2 to 1. Last night, the tables turned, and the girls donated almost twice as much as the boys. So our leader declared the girls the “winners”, and a shriek like only little girls can emit pierced the Family Life Center. Many of us - adults AND children - covered our ears in defense. And Timothy burst into tears.
“We’re LOSERS!” he cried. “She said the boys are LOSERS!” Big tears poured down his face as he buried his head in my lap. I tried to console him. I tried to explain that this was not what our leader meant. We are ALL winners because Jesus loves us, and we are doing a GOOD THING as we use our money to buy food for these hungry families. Timothy has been concerned for the Costa Rican children. Each night at VBS he has asked me about them…how will they manage without food (we’re going to feed them), aren’t they lonely and sad (no, they will be happy to get our bags filled with food, and they will know that someone loves them – that Jesus loves them). And now, he feels like a loser…a failure.
We’re working on this. I know that there will come a time when Timothy will understand that this is just a game. When he gets older, he will probably revel in this competition – and “beating” his sister at anything and everything! But for now, this little guy is truly disturbed to think that he and the other boys are “losers”. This breaks my heart…and opens my eyes.
As I read today’s scripture passage, I couldn’t help but replay this incident in my head. Where have we gotten involved in seemingly innocent conversations and activities that stir up trouble we didn’t ever imagine? Where have our thoughts and deeds been insensitive, sparked an argument, and truly been inane to begin with? In the case of our churches and money, it strikes me as rather curious that we tend to emphasize “giving” so much, while ministering to many people who barely have two nickels to rub together. We say we want the hungry, the homeless and the downtrodden to join us…to feel the love of Jesus in our midst. And then we tell them that they need them to “give until it hurts” - both figuratively and literally.
We “step on toes” in numerous ways…from promoting our own agendas to expounding on social and political views to gossip and discrimination of all kinds. Sometimes we don’t have a clue that we are doing this – or hurting someone else. Other times, I think we know it (at least a little bit)…and for some reason, we simply don’t seem to care. We go right ahead and do it anyway.
Last night when I took the children home, Timothy asked, “The boys will win tomorrow night…right?” I told him that honestly, I don’t know. But I reminded him that he is ALWAYS a winner…every single day…that in Jesus’ eyes, he can NEVER lose. I hope it was enough, should the little girls rally again tonight and pour on the pressure! But I know for sure that I will be more aware of the ways that I might be involved (even innocently) in controversies, judgments, words and actions that could be viewed as divisive or hurtful.
I will deliberately seek to operate in grace, mercy and compassion for others… to see things through their eyes…and to ask God to show me how to minister out of His abundance and mature righteousness. We can learn a lot from the tender heart of a 5-year-old. Maybe it’s time a lot of us returned to this perspective in our own lives and saw things a little more literally…with fewer gray areas. Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:14 that “God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” Are you childlike in your faith and discipleship? Isn’t it time you were?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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