Daily I am saddened more and more by the posts I see on Facebook. Posts throwing Bible verses out as attacks on others and judging people for their decisions regarding their marriages, money, children, life styles and the list goes on and on. When did we become so perfect? When did God's Word, His sword become ours to wield? When did we quit struggling with our own sins and were able to start telling everyone else how they were screwing up? When did we start pointing out sawdust in others' eyes and ignoring the planks in our own?
In John the Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus and state they caught her committing adultery. They tell him that according to Moses she should be stoned. Do you know how Jesus responded?
We are not perfect. Saved by the grace of God - yes. Perfect - no. We do not have the right to throw stones at anyone.
More than anything during these times we need to show God's love. If we are constantly telling everyone how to live their lives and pointing out how they are disobeying God's Word then all we are doing is pushing them away from ourselves and more importantly from God. If we are busy telling everyone how perfect we are and how we are so obedient all we are doing is showing our own pride and NOT God's love. Not only do we push sinners away from knowing God's love but we also push away our own Christian family making them feel abandoned and judged.
Instead of being caught up in the politics going on maybe we should look around us and see who we can love on today. Is it the divorcee who is moving on? The mom struggling with her walk in Christ? The couple across the street not allowed to legally wed? Or maybe, just maybe, it is the Christian opening her mouth on Facebook and telling everyone how to live.
Yep. I could really use some love.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues,they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13
