Did you miss Part II? Or Part I?
Then on the other hand there is a completely different situation that concerns a different friend -'Friend A' who has abandoned a mutual friend -'Friend B'. Friend B has a God given gift that is used to encourage and share the love of Christ on a regular basis. But Friend A evidently feels like that is not 'good enough.' Because of a series of events that 'went down' she has decided that our mutual Friend B has not walked the walk, even though the talk is talked. Friend B no longer meets her human being standard 'measurement of righteousness'. And because of this, she is dropping our Friend B as a friend like a hot potato!
Gee, makes one wonder, "What do I have to do to have Friend A leave and abandon me as a friend?" When will I not be good enough to be her friend? Since when have any of us been appointed master judge and jury? Do we ever know all the sides of a personal equation to make a judgment call? Just how many sides are there to a story? Since we have the human minded measurement sticks out, I wonder how many people she has personally brought to Christ as compared to Friend B? Is walking away from a friend in dire need of Christ's love for themselves actually demonstrating any kind of love at all towards them? Hmm... walking away and turning your back is a strange form of unconditional love.
Gee, who are we to judge? If you walk away from a friend in need, because you don't approve of their lifestyle,(assuming that you have all the correct facts)then you have made a judgement in your mind that has been demonstrated in your action of abandonment. Are we equipped with a timetable that allows us to dictate by what point in time our friends and loved ones are to 'turn it around'? Who gave us that right? With this mindset of hers, I'd always be afraid that one day she'd point at me and say, "POOF! Be gone!" Gee, I'm glad that she's not God too!
"You therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else for at whatever point you judge the other; you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." Romans 2:1
"...If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8: 7
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." I John 3:18
Am I guilty of judging Friend A? (sigh!) This makes me imagine what we collectively or even individually put God's heart through everyday with our judging, our lack of love, our indecision, our shortcomings, and our failure to do the right thing. After all His Son went through on our behalf for our sins! How dare us be so inconsiderate and haughty, petitioning Him with our selfish wants, desires and requests, only to forget all He has done for us daily from day one, even before we were born. The absolute depths of His mercy, forgiveness and love are completely unfathomable to the human mind as it exists in its purest, truest form in Him.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not persish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3: 16, 17
I am so glad that no matter what, no matter how stupid I act, no matter how ungrateful I am, or how deep in sin (our human degrees of sin) I immerse myself, that our God's love never changes for me! I can always come to Him and share all of my feelings and thoughts without worry that He tires of me, or is constantly judging me. He never abandons me, never tires of hearing from me, even if I am relearning the same lesson over and over. He never fails to demonstrate His infinite grace and mercy towards me. God never turns His back on me, even when I am not as completely holy as He is - which is every second of every day - SURPRISE!!!! (to clarify-from a completely human point of view). He loves me unconditionally...even if I 'know' what I am supposed to do, but do as my flesh wants to do anyway, He still loves me!
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38
AWESOME! Wow! I am so glad that He is God! Glory!
\0/ Halleluyah!
Welcome to "A Heart of Worship!" This is where I post things that have impacted my life spiritually. When we embrace the concept of worship as a lifestyle, we have an opportunity to see God reveal Himself in ways we'd never dreamed possible! Although this site was initially designed for my sweet "Sisters," my dear "Brothers in Christ," I encourage you all to feel free to respond to any of my posts or to start a new thought too. God's Word applies to all of us! Blessings!
5 comments:
Just happened upon your blog today. A blessing in deed. Adding your blog to my favorite reads :) Thank you and God bless.
Sometimes christians get to the point that their overt actions to honor God, or as some like to say "following Jesus", become the only things they equate to being a good christian. anything that falls outside their christian box becomes sin and anyone who does those things are sinners or backslidden christians who either know or know not the error of their ways. when a christian reaches this point they often start to believe it is their moral obligation to improve another believers walk. they begin to love their law more than they love others all in the name of righteousness. what these folks often fail to realize is that there is somewhere another christian (just like them) who would judge their walk as if they were as backslidden. most beleivers today would be considered carnal by the Quakers........and who among us could be purer in personal behaviour than the Puritans? if salvation were a contest of personal behaviour Jesus would have left the Pharisees as his disciples......but he didn't. no, i am sorry that many of todays christians act as if the golden rule is "grace for me, the law for you". what could the church be or do if we all lived as if it was "the law for me, grace for you". i have got news for anyone reading this: there is no such thing as a "good" christian. we are all merely sinners who have accepted a gift of grace. - glassdarkly
"We are all merely sinners who have accepted a gift of grace." I agree with your points you bring to light. Thanks for commenting.
Wonderful food for thought. I have a "friend A" myself, who is, unfortunately, brain damaged, and as far as I am aware unable to make better choices many times. She has no frame of reference to understand my obligations to my own family, and it can take a heavy toll! This is where good boundaries come in handy-is it fruitful to continue this relationship as it stands? Does it honor God to allow her to drain me? Rather, should I perhaps tell her, as lovingly as possible, I cannot help you in that way, but I am happy to be your friend?
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