God is kind to you, so...

It is often human nature to judge others by some standard we hold up as the "yard stick" by which we measure their actions. Since the beginning of time, people have made all kinds of misjudgments based on what they "believe" at a given moment. Whenever we choose to compare our actions with those of another, how others respond to our actions versus the actions of the other, or what we imagine to be the better response to a circumstance, we are kind of moving into dangerous territory. The story of Cain and Abel wasn't just put into the Bible to teach us a blood sacrifice would be required for the forgiveness of sins. I was placed there as a way of helping us to understand just how "wrong" judgment can go when we get all wigged-out by our own "measures of success". One son had his gift offering accepted, the other's gift not so much. One was a farmer, the other a keeper of flocks. Cain brought some of the food he had grown, while Abel brought the best part of his flock for an offering. In a moment of "judgment", Cain never connected the value of his gift with the value of Abel's - he just saw the "favor" given to Abel and he began to rage with jealous anger. That moment of judgment led to one of the worst actions anyone can take against another - the taking of a life. The moment is recorded for us, not just so we know jealousy and anger are wrong, but so we think about the actions behind our judgments. They may not be very "accurate" or "honorable" simply because we use a wrong measuring stick by which to measure the actions or responses of another!

So do you think that you can judge those other people? You are wrong. You too are guilty of sin. You judge them, but you do the same things they do. So when you judge them, you are really condemning yourself. God judges all who do such things, and we know his judgment is right. And since you do the same things as those people you judge, surely you understand that God will punish you too. How could you think you would be able to escape his judgment? God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives. (Romans 2:1-4)

We may not be "guilty" of exactly the same sin as another, but we are "guilty" of some sin of our own. We don't like to admit this because it makes us fallible, and it puts all eyes on us. No one wants to admit we do the same "dumb" things others do - especially when those actions are "marginally outside the expected actions" of a child of God. We don't want to admit we gossip about others, so we call it "being concerned" about another. We don't want to admit to having a problem with anger, so we label it "righteous indignation". We don't want to cop to the plea of "guilty" on any account, so we just hide behind our masks and try to fly under the radar. God is the only one capable of "right judgment", so whenever we engage in judging another by some standard we have set within ourselves, we are going to judge by a wrong standard. Even when we claim to use the Word of God as our standard, then launch into actions or activities which are then contrary to the standard laid out there, we are kind of acting a little hypocritical, don't you think?

The sad thing is that we are simply passing judgment on ourselves whenever we do this. "It takes one to know one" - a simple reminder that we recognize the faults of another because those same faults rise up to give us a problem or two in our own lives. The standard we would do well to utilize is the one God uses toward us - that of GRACE. Grace is akin to giving someone a long enough rope to decide they don't want to hang themselves! It is like God gives us enough "play", but never lets us go so far as to actually break that tie with him. Grace brings us back close and even breaks the bonds of that tie to whatever sin we were pursuing so we don't want to go back to it. It doesn't happen because he "judges" us, but because he loves us enough to provide a way for us to no longer fall under the judgment we deserve! Jesus made a way for us to step out from under the judgment and penalty we deserve by our actions. We need to make a way for others to step out from under our judgment and whatever penalty we want to hold over their heads. Their actions may very well deserve some kind of judgment but God's actions on their part are always based in grace - so ours should also be based in similar grace! Just sayin!

The baddest, meanest dudes

What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. (Proverbs 6:12-15)

Have you been around those who 'plot evil' as though it were a hobby? They go through life treating others as though they were 'pawns' in their game of life and live as though they were 'above the rules'. I try to get out of their way whenever I encounter them because I am aware their end will not be good at all! These kinds of people like to be on the receiving end of all that they desire, but whenever they receive something they didn't want, watch out. There will be some form of backlash!

"I don't believe a champion is the biggest, baddest, meanest dude in the world. I think the champion is like a warrior; it's like the head knight or lead samurai: humble men of integrity, respect, and honor that treat people kindly." (Jon Jones, American Athlete) The baddest dude we may have met will never be able to stand up to the God we serve. He may think he has made his way in this life by walking on others, demanding his own way, 'telling his own story', but there is only one person who know the end of that 'bad dude's' life - God. 

When we encounter these types of individuals, we might be tempted to 'talk some sense' into them, but if you have ever tried to combat their wickedness with kind words or deeds, you know there is no amount of talk or 'nice actions' that will change their ways. It will take an act of God to change them - not our words, reasoning, or pleas to change. Why? Their hearts are actually tainted by their desires - there heart is hard, bent on doing evil, and completely depraved. The only one who can change a heart is God - through the work of grace and the power of Christ's blood.

What can we do when we encounter the hard of heart, wicked to the core individual? We can pray for their change of heart, but when we stay close enough to them to be an example of God's love and grace, we had better be prepared for the trouble they will continually stir up. They thrive in that form of chaos, so if we are going to be around them, we need to prepare for the chaos. That means we put on the full armor of God and then we stand. The bully in them will attempt to knock us down, but when we are standing in the power of God, even their 'baddest' attack won't send us packing. Just sayin!

Three 'resolutions' of sorts

I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

A new year dawns and you likely are either skeptical anything great will come out of this two-year battle against this pandemic, or you are counting on something great to come from all the new research and break-throughs in medicine that may help. Some will celebrate the hopefulness of 'building back' our country again, while others will bemoan the fact they don't like the present political policies. There will be families enthused about their commitment to eat right, while others will find exercise to be the ticket on their 'resolution playlist' this year. Regardless of where you are right now, what resolutions you have made, or how chaotic you think things are, one thing we are all called to do: WALK, maybe even RUN. We are all entering into a 'new day' together. Whatever comes, we WALK and RUN together. Don't be a lone wolf. Partner with someone today to help you not only WALK, but learn how to RUN on the road God has called you to travel.

Fits and starts - pretty much describes every New Year's resolution everywhere. What we lack is the 'steadiness' part. We aren't going to overcome this pandemic with fits and starts - we all need to be rowing in the same direction. We aren't going to get anywhere toward climate change alone - it takes a village. We won't impact our country's infrastructure with some magic bill passed by Congress - we all need to do whatever part we can to make our country great again. These things are all the 'news-worthy' stuff we hear about every day right now, aren't they? Yet, there is one thing we won't hear about on the news stations today and that is the message we all actually need to hear and embrace: God is not about to stop reaching out for those he has so much love for in this big world. The time seems grim, but his truth never shines brighter than when we begin to be embraced by his Spirit.

Acts of love - what could you do to show someone God's love today - not by accident, but with purposeful intent? Noticing differences - not to point them out to each other in some kind of hurtful manner, but to see them as what makes us each unique and able to fulfill a specific purpose as God designed for us to fulfill while we walk this earth. Whose 'differences' will God use to make this world a better place today? What fences do you need to take personal responsibility to mend this week? These aren't the typical resolutions for a new year, but trust me on this one - if we were to embrace these three, our world would be a whole lot less stressful and a bit more focused on each other than ourselves. Just sayin!