Psalm 19:11-14
By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. Don't let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, LORD, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We don’t always have the whole story. Two recent events triggered an old memory for me recently. We have been seeing our high school principal at basketball games – he’s come to watch his grand-daughters cheer. Then a former classmate mentioned Home Economics class on Facebook. When I was in high school, I couldn’t take Home Economics class, because there was a schedule conflict with my band class. So I took General Science instead. This meant that I had a different class schedule - and lunch hour - than my fellow ninth graders.
One day, our principal called an assembly to announce that the campus was going to be closed during the lunch hour, meaning we could no longer leave to go out to eat or home for lunch. He gathered us all together and then said, “If you are in grades 7-9, this doesn’t involve you, so go back to class.” The upper classmen who were in my science class said, “You need to stay, since you have lunch with us.” So I did. When I returned to class, my teacher didn’t think I should have stayed for the information. Neither did the teacher in the next class, for which I arrived late, and she sent me to the principal’s office.
I explained to the principal that I did not know I had done anything wrong – and told him why I stayed for his assembly. He “forgave” me and sent me back to class. I can see why the teachers thought I shouldn’t have stayed. I truly did not believe I was doing anything wrong by staying. I realized later that I could have gotten the information from someone in my science class, but at the time, I felt that what was being said pertained to me, and I needed to hear it firsthand.
In a totally unrelated event, my dad once told me of a conversation he had with an aunt who had no children. She made some comment about child-rearing, and my dad (who was just a young boy), replied, “How would you know? You’ve never had children.” What Daddy did not know was that his aunt had lost a baby as a teenager… and she felt that loss deeply, particularly since she never gave birth to any other children. My grandmother took my dad aside and explained this to him, and he felt badly. He really loved his aunt, and he was so sad that he had hurt her feelings… albeit unknowingly.
See… we don’t always have all the information. And sometimes, we say and do things we shouldn’t because we truly do not know we have made a mistake. There are two lessons here. The first is to be more aware of what we say and how we say it… and to be more careful with our words and behaviors. The second is to understand that we all make mistakes – many of them innocent, if no less wrong or hurtful. Thankfully, we serve a God who forgives us and sets us back on our feet.
None of us is perfect… we all have faults. God understands this. It is not an excuse – or a license to sin or to behave badly. But we must look at our own lives – and the lives of others – and consider how God loves us and extends grace and mercy when we falter. I am so grateful that God cares for us this way – and with this level of understanding. But do we do this for others? Are we willing to forgive and extend compassion and encouragement to those we encounter? Are we willing to do for others what God does for us on a daily basis? Shouldn’t we?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label understanding others. Show all posts
Showing posts with label understanding others. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for November 14, 2010
Psalm 119:130-133
Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. I honestly want to know everything you teach. Think about me and be kind, just as you are to everyone who loves your name. Keep your promise and don't let me stumble or let sin control my life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
How many times have you had a “light bulb moment,” where you truly “got it”? Maybe you realized just how much sugar and fat you had in your diet and made a concerted effort to change. Or maybe you realized that the person you thought was a good friend was really someone who was dragging you down the wrong path – or just dragging you down, period!
Maybe you finally understood fully that your parents or another influential adult in your life were not the “monsters” you and your friends had made them out to be. Or maybe you finally saw that the teacher who was so hard on you was really the one who cared the most about you and your future. There are lots of “light bulb moments” in our lives, hopefully… and each one is a growth lesson.
But the most important “light bulb moment” is when we finally recognize God’s word and the impact of His will for our lives. When we ordinary people start to truly “get” God, the lights go on and things really start to happen! This is good news! I hope you are earnestly seeking this time in your life… this level of understanding and communication where God speaks to you through the everyday circumstances of life… and you clearly hear His voice!
Just as importantly, once the lights go on in your relationship with God, I pray you don’t get complacent. Never take God for granted. Never assume you have all the bases covered and start to get cocky. You’ll get into trouble for sure… Satan would love nothing more than to trip us up and catch us feeling a little smug in our faith. Stay grounded. Stay hungry and seeking God, and always keep the lines of communication wide open. I pray the “Lights are on” in your heart… and God is changing your life daily from “ordinary” to totally amazing as a result!
©2010 Debbie Robus
Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. I honestly want to know everything you teach. Think about me and be kind, just as you are to everyone who loves your name. Keep your promise and don't let me stumble or let sin control my life.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
How many times have you had a “light bulb moment,” where you truly “got it”? Maybe you realized just how much sugar and fat you had in your diet and made a concerted effort to change. Or maybe you realized that the person you thought was a good friend was really someone who was dragging you down the wrong path – or just dragging you down, period!
Maybe you finally understood fully that your parents or another influential adult in your life were not the “monsters” you and your friends had made them out to be. Or maybe you finally saw that the teacher who was so hard on you was really the one who cared the most about you and your future. There are lots of “light bulb moments” in our lives, hopefully… and each one is a growth lesson.
But the most important “light bulb moment” is when we finally recognize God’s word and the impact of His will for our lives. When we ordinary people start to truly “get” God, the lights go on and things really start to happen! This is good news! I hope you are earnestly seeking this time in your life… this level of understanding and communication where God speaks to you through the everyday circumstances of life… and you clearly hear His voice!
Just as importantly, once the lights go on in your relationship with God, I pray you don’t get complacent. Never take God for granted. Never assume you have all the bases covered and start to get cocky. You’ll get into trouble for sure… Satan would love nothing more than to trip us up and catch us feeling a little smug in our faith. Stay grounded. Stay hungry and seeking God, and always keep the lines of communication wide open. I pray the “Lights are on” in your heart… and God is changing your life daily from “ordinary” to totally amazing as a result!
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 13, 2010
Ephesians 6:9
Slave owners, you must treat your slaves with this same respect. Don't threaten them. They have the same Master in heaven that you do, and he doesn't have any favorites.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You are probably wondering why I would include a scripture passage about slave owners. None of us has slaves in this day and age. But almost all of us have people who perform services for us every day, and this passage applies to them as much as the slaves of Biblical times.
See, when you are rude or unkind to a clerk at the store or wait staff at a restaurant, this dishonors your relationship with God. When you are disrespectful to teachers, bosses, parents, people in authority … this is the same thing. If you post something unkind on Facebook or send out an e-mail message with a crude or unflattering joke about someone else – a celebrity with an addiction problem, our President, someone of another race or ethnicity, or someone with a different sexual orientation, you are making a distinction between yourself and that person … and in God’s eyes, there is no distinction.
Don’t misunderstand me … I’m not saying you have to agree with everyone else and/or their lifestyle … but judgment is not ours. Jesus did not disrespect those who didn’t agree with Him … and every person has equal potential in His eyes to be His disciple and faithful servant. So when we look down our noses at others, we’re not living up to Christ’s expectation of us. When we treat others unkindly or rudely, say unkind things and ridicule others, we have effectively denied our relationship with Christ. Yes, it’s that serious!
So the next time you start to call someone an idiot or decide to threaten a salesperson or snap your finger to demand the attention of a waiter or waitress, think about Jesus. The next time someone comes into a place of business and is not as neat and clean or attractive as you like, remember that your sinful self isn’t so neat and clean to Jesus, either! Remind yourself that this person is just as important to Him as you are. Treat them with respect and see what a difference it can make. Ask yourself how Jesus would react … and ditch any attitudes or opinions of your own.
©2010 Debbie Robus
Slave owners, you must treat your slaves with this same respect. Don't threaten them. They have the same Master in heaven that you do, and he doesn't have any favorites.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You are probably wondering why I would include a scripture passage about slave owners. None of us has slaves in this day and age. But almost all of us have people who perform services for us every day, and this passage applies to them as much as the slaves of Biblical times.
See, when you are rude or unkind to a clerk at the store or wait staff at a restaurant, this dishonors your relationship with God. When you are disrespectful to teachers, bosses, parents, people in authority … this is the same thing. If you post something unkind on Facebook or send out an e-mail message with a crude or unflattering joke about someone else – a celebrity with an addiction problem, our President, someone of another race or ethnicity, or someone with a different sexual orientation, you are making a distinction between yourself and that person … and in God’s eyes, there is no distinction.
Don’t misunderstand me … I’m not saying you have to agree with everyone else and/or their lifestyle … but judgment is not ours. Jesus did not disrespect those who didn’t agree with Him … and every person has equal potential in His eyes to be His disciple and faithful servant. So when we look down our noses at others, we’re not living up to Christ’s expectation of us. When we treat others unkindly or rudely, say unkind things and ridicule others, we have effectively denied our relationship with Christ. Yes, it’s that serious!
So the next time you start to call someone an idiot or decide to threaten a salesperson or snap your finger to demand the attention of a waiter or waitress, think about Jesus. The next time someone comes into a place of business and is not as neat and clean or attractive as you like, remember that your sinful self isn’t so neat and clean to Jesus, either! Remind yourself that this person is just as important to Him as you are. Treat them with respect and see what a difference it can make. Ask yourself how Jesus would react … and ditch any attitudes or opinions of your own.
©2010 Debbie Robus
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