March 1 Are You Judgmental? Romans 3:23
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)
From the very beginnings of my “Church” memories, I understood that I was a “sinner” and that I needed “cleansing” from my sins, through my faith in the selfless act of Jesus at Calvary, in order to be acceptable to God and to claim the Grace of Jesus and to ensure my place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Over the years, I have, in my humanity, failed to be the witness and the “forgiven” example for Christ! There was a time when I used my “Salvation” to become a judge of others that were not “acting” like me or were doing “Church” stuff the way that I thought was proper and expected! One night, at a Deacon’s meeting, I spoke out about an individual that was not, in my opinion, living properly and was not presenting a holy example for others. “Who are you to judge me?” This was the question that was asked of me, and I didn’t have a good answer! This individual began to share attitudes and actions that he had observed me engaged with and he asked the fellow deacons if that was proper behavior for a representative of the Church and of God. Wow! In my self-righteous position, I had taken a part of the Gospel and, in stead of, confessing my own shortcomings and my own failures, and concentrating on my own growth and maturity, I decided to highlight the shortcomings of others! That night, in the light of my own reality, God used that moment to show me the folly of my own arrogance. How could I be so judgmental and arrogantly superior towards a fellow brother, who was struggling and growing, just like me? After the meeting, I followed this brother to his truck, and I begged for his forgiveness. He said something that was so profound and so moving that I dropped to my knees and began to pray, right that moment! I felt an arm go around my shoulders, and I realized that he was on his knees and he was praying for me, as I was praying for me! Amazingly, I sensed the presence of others, and I looked up and two other deacons had left their vehicles, and we were all on our knees, in the parking lot, doing something that we should have been doing in the building. Long story short… that night, in the cool crisp night air of an October evening, I had a true understanding of God’s Grace and my part in the expression of that Grace! Please be careful how you judge others! The same standards that you judge, they will be used to judge you! We are all on this journey of maturity and enlightenment, and we need to concentrate on our relationship with God, and allow our actions and our words to guide, direct and encourage others to seek His Grace and Forgiveness! Are your actions, attitudes, words truly reflective of the miracle of Grace that has redeemed your soul? Remember, you have not been called to straighten out your neighbor, but you have been called to Love your Neighbor, and to Share His Good News, by Words and by Actions! “REPENT!” Stay Strong, Stay Focused … THE BEST IS YET TO BE!