Romans 14:10-12
So where does that leave you when
you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you
condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or
worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in
the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways
aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for
yourself in Scripture:
“As I live and breathe,” God says,
“every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God.”
So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
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.
As I read this scripture
passage, I thought about my Facebook friends. I pictured many of them,
and I made a mental list of things I knew about challenges and “issues”
that each one is facing or has had to face. This one’s son is being
deployed to the Middle East…and that one’s son is undergoing tests at
Mayo Clinic. One has spent an entire year molding and shaping her body
into an amazing work of muscular art through careful diet and weight
training…while another who is working with a personal trainer recently
posted a picture of a pair of jeans with the caption, “Well, HELLO, size
12!”
Some are dealing with the aftermath of breakups, while
others are planning weddings or anticipating the birth of a new baby.
Some are experiencing discrimination because of their sexual
orientation, religious beliefs, or political views…while others are the
ones who are discriminating and criticizing. Some are gaga for their
dogs, and others are unapologetically in the cat camp. Some are all
about the lives and activities of their kids…while others are totally
into the enjoyment of retirement living.
I imagined each one of
us standing side-by-side in something non-descript - surgical scrubs,
perhaps – barefoot and stripped of caps, jewelry, makeup, and other
“adornments”. You can’t always see a person’s characteristics and
preferences with the naked eye. You can’t always know what is going on
behind the scenes in their lives. You also cannot see their heart…or
their heartaches. You can’t know for certain what kind of relationship
they have with God…or what is truly in their hearts. But God knows ALL
of this. And as this passage tells, at the end of the day when we kneel
before Him, He will decide who has served Him well and “lived right”...not you and I.
We
have to get this right. We have to quit criticizing…to “live and let
live”…and to get on with focusing on getting our OWN lives in order. We
only have one responsibility…and that is to mind our own business and
live in such a way that God is honored as we serve Him. In the current
vernacular, we need to learn to “stay in our lane.” For many of us,
this is really hard. We want to make suggestions…to impose OUR thoughts
and feelings onto others…to interject ourselves into their lives. If
only they would do this or say that or think another way – in other
words, be more like us! – their lives would be so much better!
Do
you see how skewed this is? Do you understand how this displeases
God…how we place ourselves in an unmerited position of authority? Are
you ready to humble yourself and find your true place as Christ’s
disciple? Will this be the day that you start to look at other people
as God sees them…and quit criticizing and looking at them with
condescension? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label condescension. Show all posts
Showing posts with label condescension. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for June 30, 2015
Proverbs 16:5
Pride disgusts the Lord. Take my word for it - proud men shall be punished.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Timothy was terribly restless yesterday. He had a huge week and weekend, which included a trip on Thursday with his great-grandparents to Blanchard Caverns …and a “guys trip” Saturday night to the stock car races with his Uncle Greg, his Paw-paw, and his dad. I think there were other special activities, too…and by Monday morning, he was one tired little boy. Like a lot of kids, Timothy does NOT like to nap. So we had a lot of discussions yesterday that went like this…”But I don’t WANT to take a nap! Don’t rock me…you’re trying to make me go to sleep! I’m hungry! But I CAN’T calm down! I’m really NOT tired!”
When Timothy’s mom came to pick up the children after work, he told her, “Mother, I was HORRIBLE today.” She said, “Oh, I bet you weren’t that bad!” He replied, “Oh, yes I was! I was HORRIBLE!” Now a lot of children would have totally tried to cover up their “horrible” day…but as Timothy’s mother pointed out – “at least he’s honest!”
Thankfully, this six-year-old boy has not developed a truly prideful heart…and I wish that I could believe that he never will. Time will tell…but a lot of children have learned to “cover their tracks” by the time they are 8 or 9. They know how to spin things to their advantage and make themselves look good – or at least innocent. And when they ARE discovered, the first question (whether voiced or implied) is generally, “Do you still love me?”
As adults, a lot of people want to “spin things,” or force their opinion and ideas on others…then excuse this with, “We can disagree and still love each other!” The trouble is, more often than not, these people shove their agendas down the throats of others in a judgmental, condescending, and anything-but-loving manner.
Read this passage from Mark 12:28-31…”One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, ‘What is the most important commandment?’
Jesus answered, ‘The most important one says: “People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” The second most important commandment says: “Love others as much as you love yourself.” No other commandment is more important than these.’
If you can figure out where in this passage Jesus tells us that it’s okay to be prideful or arrogant in our “loving”…then show me! Too many of us want to push our own agendas with criticism – and even an atmosphere of fear and hatred – and then excuse it all with, “But we still love you!” as if those on the receiving end should somehow be grateful.
I cannot stress enough how disheartened I am by the attitudes, words and actions of many people in recent days. The attacks have been prideful…and vicious. And far too many people are trying to hide behind the name of Jesus as they toss daggers and stones. I implore each of us to search our hearts and look for places where we are spinning things to suit our own whims. Where have we “acted horrible” and then hoped that people would love us anyway? If we find even a snippet of this malice and manipulation, I pray that we would ask God to remove it from us…for good.
Proud men will indeed be punished. Let’s do everything we can to make sure that we are not among them! If we make a concerted effort to operate in love, there will be no room for pride and judgment. Are you ready to do some heart “search and rescue?” Don’t you think this is a good time to start?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Pride disgusts the Lord. Take my word for it - proud men shall be punished.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Timothy was terribly restless yesterday. He had a huge week and weekend, which included a trip on Thursday with his great-grandparents to Blanchard Caverns …and a “guys trip” Saturday night to the stock car races with his Uncle Greg, his Paw-paw, and his dad. I think there were other special activities, too…and by Monday morning, he was one tired little boy. Like a lot of kids, Timothy does NOT like to nap. So we had a lot of discussions yesterday that went like this…”But I don’t WANT to take a nap! Don’t rock me…you’re trying to make me go to sleep! I’m hungry! But I CAN’T calm down! I’m really NOT tired!”
When Timothy’s mom came to pick up the children after work, he told her, “Mother, I was HORRIBLE today.” She said, “Oh, I bet you weren’t that bad!” He replied, “Oh, yes I was! I was HORRIBLE!” Now a lot of children would have totally tried to cover up their “horrible” day…but as Timothy’s mother pointed out – “at least he’s honest!”
Thankfully, this six-year-old boy has not developed a truly prideful heart…and I wish that I could believe that he never will. Time will tell…but a lot of children have learned to “cover their tracks” by the time they are 8 or 9. They know how to spin things to their advantage and make themselves look good – or at least innocent. And when they ARE discovered, the first question (whether voiced or implied) is generally, “Do you still love me?”
As adults, a lot of people want to “spin things,” or force their opinion and ideas on others…then excuse this with, “We can disagree and still love each other!” The trouble is, more often than not, these people shove their agendas down the throats of others in a judgmental, condescending, and anything-but-loving manner.
Read this passage from Mark 12:28-31…”One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, ‘What is the most important commandment?’
Jesus answered, ‘The most important one says: “People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” The second most important commandment says: “Love others as much as you love yourself.” No other commandment is more important than these.’
If you can figure out where in this passage Jesus tells us that it’s okay to be prideful or arrogant in our “loving”…then show me! Too many of us want to push our own agendas with criticism – and even an atmosphere of fear and hatred – and then excuse it all with, “But we still love you!” as if those on the receiving end should somehow be grateful.
I cannot stress enough how disheartened I am by the attitudes, words and actions of many people in recent days. The attacks have been prideful…and vicious. And far too many people are trying to hide behind the name of Jesus as they toss daggers and stones. I implore each of us to search our hearts and look for places where we are spinning things to suit our own whims. Where have we “acted horrible” and then hoped that people would love us anyway? If we find even a snippet of this malice and manipulation, I pray that we would ask God to remove it from us…for good.
Proud men will indeed be punished. Let’s do everything we can to make sure that we are not among them! If we make a concerted effort to operate in love, there will be no room for pride and judgment. Are you ready to do some heart “search and rescue?” Don’t you think this is a good time to start?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for May 5, 2013
Romans 2:1-4
Some of you accuse others of doing wrong. But there is no excuse for what you do. When you judge others, you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things. We know that God is right to judge everyone who behaves in this way. Do you really think God won’t punish you, when you behave exactly like the people you accuse? You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Exactly one year ago this week, I sat with my grandmother in our local hospital, where she had undergone surgery to repair a broken leg bone. The surgeon bolted a rod in place alongside her leg, securing it near the hip socket and above the knee. The plan was to have her up and “walking” the day after surgery. But three days later, she had not budged and didn’t even know her own name – much less mine. After consulting with her doctors, nurses and an in-hospital therapist, I requested Hospice care. This was not an easy decision… and even my nurse-friend at Hospice initially refused, saying, “I have no medical reason to admit her.” Once she came for an evaluation, she realized just how bad my grandmother’s situation really was and readily agreed.
When we returned to the assisted living facility, many of the staff members were somewhat cool toward me. Some made comments like, “We LOVE Miss Polly… we can take care of her… we’d take her home with us if we could.” They implied that I did not care… that Hospice was not necessary…that they knew better than I what should be done in this situation. Please understand that not all of the staff members felt this way. One nurse in particular told me over and over, “Miss Polly does NOT want to be here… she tells me all the time she is ready to go ‘home.’” And indeed, when my grandmother was still able to speak, she told me more than once that she was so ready for heaven and did not understand why God was keeping her here so long.
I do not regret my decision to request Hospice care for my grandmother. And in recent weeks, I have recommended Hospice to others who are dealing with difficult health care choices for their loved ones. I would never question another person’s decision to utilize Hospice… nor would I judge those who say, “Oh, that’s not for us…” or “We’re not ready for that.” I have seen more than one family wait too late to fully benefit from this amazing organization. But this is a deeply personal decision. When I suggest to a family that they engage the services of Hospice, I am not judging their situation – nor trying to tell them what to do. All I can do is share how Hospice helped us… and how they made my grandmother’s last nine months on this earth more comfortable for her – and for us as her caregivers.
There are dozens of situations and circumstances every day in which we serve as judge and jury… instances where we are quick to voice our opinion that “he/she should have done things this way,” or “I would NEVER have said or done such-and-such.” Hopefully you will never commit murder or abuse a child – or any of God’s creatures. But you very well may take the LORD’s name in vain… lie… cheat…steal…gossip…treat others unfairly or unkindly… show bias toward another person because of his/her race, creed, color or lifestyle choices… and more. And no sin is more serious than another in God’s eyes. So when you accuse others of wrongdoing, you will have no excuse that justifies doing so. When you judge another person, God will judge you. The next time you start to pass judgment on another person, remember that you are essentially judging yourself in the bargain.
If we would only turn to God and seek His will and wisdom… then act accordingly…we would never fear judgment. Oh, sure… some on this earth might still have plenty of opinions about our decisions. But as long as we know that God is pleased with our choices, we need not worry about what anyone else thinks. Ask yourself this question…”Can I close my eyes tonight and sleep well… knowing that I have done what God asked of me? Have I spoken and acted according to His plans today? Did I serve well as Christ’s disciple? Is God pleased with me?” If the answer is uncertain, fall to your knees and ask God to show you where you missed the mark…and how to correct this.
We all fall short of complete surrender to God’s will from time to time. But He is waiting for us to turn to Him and make the necessary adjustments. What is holding you back? What is your excuse for operating in anything less than full obedience? Isn’t it time you figured out where your “faith walk” and attitude need work? Isn’t this the perfect time to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Some of you accuse others of doing wrong. But there is no excuse for what you do. When you judge others, you condemn yourselves, because you are guilty of doing the very same things. We know that God is right to judge everyone who behaves in this way. Do you really think God won’t punish you, when you behave exactly like the people you accuse? You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Exactly one year ago this week, I sat with my grandmother in our local hospital, where she had undergone surgery to repair a broken leg bone. The surgeon bolted a rod in place alongside her leg, securing it near the hip socket and above the knee. The plan was to have her up and “walking” the day after surgery. But three days later, she had not budged and didn’t even know her own name – much less mine. After consulting with her doctors, nurses and an in-hospital therapist, I requested Hospice care. This was not an easy decision… and even my nurse-friend at Hospice initially refused, saying, “I have no medical reason to admit her.” Once she came for an evaluation, she realized just how bad my grandmother’s situation really was and readily agreed.
When we returned to the assisted living facility, many of the staff members were somewhat cool toward me. Some made comments like, “We LOVE Miss Polly… we can take care of her… we’d take her home with us if we could.” They implied that I did not care… that Hospice was not necessary…that they knew better than I what should be done in this situation. Please understand that not all of the staff members felt this way. One nurse in particular told me over and over, “Miss Polly does NOT want to be here… she tells me all the time she is ready to go ‘home.’” And indeed, when my grandmother was still able to speak, she told me more than once that she was so ready for heaven and did not understand why God was keeping her here so long.
I do not regret my decision to request Hospice care for my grandmother. And in recent weeks, I have recommended Hospice to others who are dealing with difficult health care choices for their loved ones. I would never question another person’s decision to utilize Hospice… nor would I judge those who say, “Oh, that’s not for us…” or “We’re not ready for that.” I have seen more than one family wait too late to fully benefit from this amazing organization. But this is a deeply personal decision. When I suggest to a family that they engage the services of Hospice, I am not judging their situation – nor trying to tell them what to do. All I can do is share how Hospice helped us… and how they made my grandmother’s last nine months on this earth more comfortable for her – and for us as her caregivers.
There are dozens of situations and circumstances every day in which we serve as judge and jury… instances where we are quick to voice our opinion that “he/she should have done things this way,” or “I would NEVER have said or done such-and-such.” Hopefully you will never commit murder or abuse a child – or any of God’s creatures. But you very well may take the LORD’s name in vain… lie… cheat…steal…gossip…treat others unfairly or unkindly… show bias toward another person because of his/her race, creed, color or lifestyle choices… and more. And no sin is more serious than another in God’s eyes. So when you accuse others of wrongdoing, you will have no excuse that justifies doing so. When you judge another person, God will judge you. The next time you start to pass judgment on another person, remember that you are essentially judging yourself in the bargain.
If we would only turn to God and seek His will and wisdom… then act accordingly…we would never fear judgment. Oh, sure… some on this earth might still have plenty of opinions about our decisions. But as long as we know that God is pleased with our choices, we need not worry about what anyone else thinks. Ask yourself this question…”Can I close my eyes tonight and sleep well… knowing that I have done what God asked of me? Have I spoken and acted according to His plans today? Did I serve well as Christ’s disciple? Is God pleased with me?” If the answer is uncertain, fall to your knees and ask God to show you where you missed the mark…and how to correct this.
We all fall short of complete surrender to God’s will from time to time. But He is waiting for us to turn to Him and make the necessary adjustments. What is holding you back? What is your excuse for operating in anything less than full obedience? Isn’t it time you figured out where your “faith walk” and attitude need work? Isn’t this the perfect time to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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