Judging others at their worst

One of the most difficult things to do is to forgive others.

I'm not speaking of shrugging our shoulders and disregarding their wrong actions.

I'm talking about truly forgiving them.

When we think of how others have wronged us in the past, its easy to place them under judgment.

Instead of our focus being on their few sins against us, we can condemn them in their entirety.

We can view them as simply being bad people, undeserving of any form of redemption.

They don't even need to sin against us.

They can sin against someone else.

They can sin in lifestyles, beliefs, or generalities - ways that don't necessarily impact us personally, but instead impact what we see as society as a whole.

Many times, we don't even need to witness the sins in question.

We can simply hear about a sin they're guilty of through others.

We can hear it through gossip, rumors, social media, or many other sources.

But before we begin to judge others, we need to ask ourselves a question:

 - Have we ever been guilty of sinning against others?

 - Have we ever been guilty of sinning in our lifestyles, beliefs, or generalities?

Of course we have.

Maybe not to the extent others have, but also to more of an extent than others.

The apostle John wrote:

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10

In recent years, we've seen an enormous uptick it what I'd consider judgment from the masses.

People are cancelled.

People are doxxed. 

People have their entire lives and careers destroyed - often by others they've never met.

What if someone judged your entire existence based upon one horrible decision you've made?

What if they decided to choose the worst thing you've ever done, and judged your entire character - your entire worth as a human being based upon it?

But we tend to lean that direction when it comes to the sins of others, don't we?

I'm not talking about using rational judgment when it comes to who we'd prefer to stay clear of.

There will never be a shortage of very dangerous people in this world.

That's just common sense.

What I'm speaking of is a general rush to condemn others we believe have committed worse sins than ours, or more of them. 

There's one major problem with this approach. 

We're all sinners.

Every last one of us. 

Believing we're better than others in this regard is the height of hypocrisy.

In Ephesians, Paul wrote:

"For by grace you are saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:8-10

We're not saved due to our own good works.

How, then, can we feel justified in condemning others for acts we consider "less good?"

We simply can't. 

If anyone sins against us, the healthiest thing we can do is to forgive them and move on.

Doing so protects us from harboring anger and resentment. 

A very wise man once compared holding onto these feelings to drinking poison, hoping the other person will die. 

The Lord's Prayer says "...forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us."

Just as it's true about the Lord forgiving us, forgiving others is a daily occurrence. 

It's also one that will bring more peace into the lives of everyone involved.

Couldn't we all use a little more peace in our lives?

Are you afraid of the end?

We've all seen it happen many times.

Most of us have suffered through it.

A relationship seemingly full of promise at the beginning crashes to the ground far too soon.

Words can be difficult to find when this happens to someone we love.

They can also be impossible to aptly express when it happens to us. 

A wide variety of memories we once thought of as beautiful can become nothing more than painful reminders of how deceptive life can be.

Many times, we see it coming long before it happens.

There are countless signs we either miss entirely or simply choose to ignore.

Had we been given the opportunity to see into the future even for just a moment, maybe we would've done things differently.

Then again, maybe we wouldn't.

Maybe there still would've been things we loved very much about that relationship.

Things we loved enough to give up on the idea we'd find something better.

Something happier.

Something healthier.

Maybe our pride would've been too much for us to admit we were wrong at the very start.

Maybe, deep down inside, we didn't believe we deserved better.

This happens quite often within abusive relationships.

The abusive person convinces the abused they're not worthy.

Not all at once, mind you.

This will usually happen over time with the abused suffering apparently minor blows again and again.

These can be emotional, psychological, physical, or sexual in nature.

They can be all of the above.

The most common reason people who are abused stay in those relationships is fear.

 - Fear of more abuse.

 - Fear of being publicly humiliated.

 - Fear of financial desperation.

 - Fear of the unknown.

This is how life and the world around us can treat us.

We can find ourselves holding tightly to the life we have simply because we're blind to the possibility of finding a better life.

 - A beautiful life

 - A meaningful life

 - A life far beyond anything we imagined possible

 - A perfect life

No, I'm not suggesting that anyone is capable of living a perfect life.

Not here on earth, that is.

Not in our current form

We are, however, as followers of Christ, promised a glorious, beautiful, unimaginable life once this life comes to an end.

It won't be even remotely similar to the bad relationships we once thought were everything only to be greatly disappointed.

In fact, it will be the exact opposite.

As wonderful, amazing, and beautiful we may think it will be, we're not even close. 

But as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9

But this is not only speaking of the afterlife.

This also applies to the life we're living right now.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:11-13

So, if all of this is true - which it is - what keeps us from asking?

The answer is simple.

Fear.

 - Fear of change.

 - Fear of the unknown.

 - Fear of receiving what the world has always given us.

 - Fear of being disappointed like we have been through bad prior relationships.

Fear comes in countless forms.

But what overcomes fear?

Faith. 

Faith in all of the following:

 - We can be forgiven for any shortcomings we may have.

 - We can trust in the one who created all things.

 - If we ask, He will answer.

 - We will not be abused by Him the way others, and the world, have abused us in the past.

 - We can embrace the end, no matter what it means, as not just an end, but a new beginning. 

It doesn't take an extraordinary amount of faith to get things started.

It only takes enough faith to ask. 

It all begins with that first prayer.

Why not start now?

Do you have faith in your government?

There are many different forms of government in our world today.

Some are obviously better than others for a variety of reasons.

I'm not here to debate which form is best.

With every form of governance in place, there are both proponents and detractors, largely due to the experiences of those living under each regime.

In many cases, it's not the form of government people tend to oppose, but rather the political leaders controlling it. 

People don't like being lied to or manipulated by their officials.

Sadly, this appears to be happening more often than not regardless of where you're from.

Why?

Because all of these leaders, at their core, are merely human.

Power and control can be a very strong elixir. 

The harder someone works to gain these things, the less willing they are to give them up.

This can lead people to do some horrible things, believing that doing so will serve the common good.

My point here is not to shame government officials or condemn whatever form of governance they choose.

It is instead to ask one simple question:

Do you have faith in your government?

If so, why?

If not, why?

Have you ever found yourself eagerly anticipating a regime change only to end up horribly disappointed by the results of those changes?

I know I have.

So why do we repeat the same cycle time and time again even though we've been through it before?

Because we're putting our faith in the wrong things.

As Christians, we need to take a step back and realize where our true citizenship really lies.

No matter what country we live in, and no matter what form of governance we're under, we belong to Christ's kingdom first and foremost.

Does this mean we should disregard the laws our country puts in place?

Not at all.

Doing so could result in being jailed or even worse.

We should all obey the law to the best of our ability - with just one caveat:

If any law forbids us to practice or share our faith, it should be considered irrelevant.

Why?

Because we belong first to God's kingdom.

We are citizens of a kingdom above all others which has the power to remove or replace any government or political leader at a moment's notice, no matter how powerful they appear to be.

We are called to "...seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness..."

Moreover, we're also taught that God himself decides who will lead the nations.

In Romans, Paul says the following:

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended." - Romans 13:1-3

Of course, this is the same Paul who was arrested, jailed, and killed for sharing his faith in Jesus. 

So, you see, there is a line drawn here.

Paul obeyed his government in all things until that government forbade him from teaching the gospel and sharing his faith with others.

His faith was not in the government.

His faith, first and foremost, was in Christ.

We need to have the same mindset.

No matter how dark things may appear, God is ultimately, completely, decisively in control. 

He always has been, he is now, and he always will be. 

If our faith is firmly grounded in him, and our first citizenship is in his kingdom, we can trust he will never fail or abandon us. 

Okay, I'm a Christian. Now what?

People all over the world make the decision to follow Christ on a daily basis.

After making that decision, they are often faced with the same question.

Now what?

They know their lives have just changed.

They know their entire focus has shifted.

What troubles them is in knowing what to do next.

A number of years ago, I earned a degree in culinary arts.

I did so because I love cooking for others, and to be honest, I also love eating good food.

It was a great experience for me.

I learned more about food and how to prepare it properly than I had learned over decades of cooking at home.

I also learned quite a bit about how to cook safely, avoiding contamination that could lead to making myself and others ill.

When I walked off of that stage, diploma in hand, I was very aware of two things:

 - It was a great feeling of accomplishment

 - It was also only the beginning

Had I walked away from that school with my degree and never cooked again, what good would that have done anyone?

What if I only practiced the basics and never attempted to learn more?

Naturally, I would stagnate.

While nobody would be able to take that degree away from me, I would miss out on any benefit I might experience had I pushed myself to learn more and to hone my craft.

The Christian faith works very much the same way.

Although we can take no credit for being given that faith, it still feels like a bit of an accomplishment.

We've made a decision that nobody can ever take away from us.

And yet, it's only the beginning.

Even though I have a degree that says I know how to cook, I still follow recipes.

 - I still own cookbooks, and I continue to buy more

 - I still watch cooking shows

 - I'll continually try to learn more from chefs who have far more experience than I

 - I understand that I can learn just as much from someone who's also still learning as I can from a seasoned chef.

All it takes is to maintain a desire to get better

There are countless resources out there that can help us to grow in our faith.

We have opportunities - on a daily basis - to learn from others on how we can move forward.

Some teachers are very good.

Some, well, not so much.

But we can even learn much from the bad ones, as their teachings will eventually fall apart.

After all, if we follow a few recipes published by a bad cook, we'll know they're bad as soon as we taste what we've prepared.

Most importantly, we have three unfailing resources that will never steer us wrong.

 - Jesus, who gave us a clear example of how to live and treat others

 - The Holy Spirit, who teaches us truths we can feel down to our very souls

 - The Bible - or in other words, the ultimate cookbook.

Making a commitment to Christ is not a one time event, it's a lifelong pursuit.

We will never be perfect in this.

The goal is to become more like Christ one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time.

It would be easy to become overwhelmed at the thought of committing the rest of our natural lives to anything, but that's not how we're supposed to look at it. 

In the Lord's Prayer, we ask "give us this day our daily bread."

This is part of what that's all about.

We don't ask "make me perfect right now and for the rest of my life."

We're asking to be given what we need for now.

 - for this day

 - for this moment

While speaking about the needs any of us may face in the future, Jesus himself said:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:33-34

How much time have we all spent worrying about tomorrow?

Far more than we'd care to admit.

So, now what?

Seek first His kingdom, one day at a time, and let tomorrow worry about itself.