Turn The Other Cheek---Easier Said Than Done

I have taken a short hiatus from blogging to focus my attention on the arrival of this year's VBS titled "Weird Animals." The story lines explore different stories through the Bible that Jesus encounters people who are different, lonely, left out, etc. but he loves them anyways. Examples are healing the ten (mostly ungrateful) lepers, talking to the lonely Samaritan woman, washing his disciples' feet, dying on the cross, etc. So even though we are left out, lonely, dirty, sinners, Jesus still loves us. Even though we are weird, we are made perfectly in his image and we should love all his creatures as he loved his children; without judgemental eyes, sneering looks, mean remarks, whispers behind their backs, etc. It's a good story line and I have been blessed to teach the "Bible Adventures" class where we play out and interact the story of the Bible.

This evening however, I have a great deal on my mind. It's been a long couple days and I haven't spent much time on Facebook. Tonight, while scrolling through my newsfeed, I found some unsettling remarks. I read comments beneath the picture of a woman on the beach. The remarks were from a self-proclaimed Christian but portray Christians in a very bad light. The comments were hateful, judgemental, cruel, and just mean spirited. It upsets me a great deal that people think just because they are "Christians" they have the right to stand on a podium and point out the shortcomings of others. I do feel that we are supposed to support others and help them overcome their sins and bad habits. I do think that we shouldn't ignore people's sin and live in this happy-go-lucky, "God loves everyone so I don't have to try" mentality. But we shouldn't point out sins from a higher standing like we are more important and then continue to judge, criticize and demean them.

Jesus met many people while he was here that were not "good Christians." Noone withholding Jesus, was or ever will be without sin. He never criticized them, belittled them, or spoke cruely to them. He didn't say "I'll pray for you" in a snide manner. He didn't curse at them and walk away in disguist. He didn't walk away at all in fact. He didn't poke, prod, and aggitate them to encourage argumentation. He loved them despite their sins. He loved them despite adultry, disease, murder, theft, idolitry, and so many other things. He loved them because they were his Father's children. We are all our Father's children. So we are all brothers and sisters.

I become enraged when someone uses their being a Christian as a basis for others to live up to. I will never live up to some and I will greatly surpass others. Noone will ever live up to Jesus Christ's life on Earth. We will never experience a love so true, an understanding without confusion, or life so perfect as he did. We will never measure up to Him or His Father. That's kind of the whole point. Going all the way back to Genesis, Adam ate the apple and so did Eve. Because of this, human decendents from this line are all sinners and will be until the second coming when we are all raised into Heaven. We should not compare ourselves to others-Christian or otherwise- because if Jesus had compared Himself to us, we would never be permitted into the Kingdom of Heaven because we would never be good enough. It is through His grace that we are forgiven. Not because of our good deeds or charity. Not because we brought so many people to Him. Not because we were "good Christians." We are welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven because of His grace and His grace alone.

I am not a woman who measures up to others. I am also not a woman who feels as though she must. I must follow my heart and pray that God fills me with his wisdom to know where to go and what to do. I have made so many mistakes in my life, I can only imagine how many more I will make. I do not feel that my sins are much greater or much less than anyone else's because I will not compare my sins to theirs. A child who grows up incredibly poor may steal a thousand times just to feed him/herself. Is that better or worse than a person stealing out of idolitry and wanton? There are so many factors that play in each situation that with my limited knowledge, I have no way of comparing the sin themselves, the situation surrounding them, the individual's relationship to God and repentance. If I were to compare them and state that stealing food to feed onesself is okay but wanton stealing from the elderly is not, I may not know that the elderly was a wealthy non-believer and God requested the individual take what was rightfully his/hers. ((This is NOT permission to steal anything from anyone or blame God for telling you to steal anything either. I am simply stating a hypothetical situation) The only person that is able to rightfully judge and praise or condemn is the omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God Almighty himself.

Being a Christian doesn't give you the right to judge others. It doesn't give you the right to be cruel, harsh, evil-spirited, aggitating, unsupporting, or otherwise condemning to anyone whether they are Christian or not. If an individual is committing sin that you feel you must point out, first ensure that you are doing it for their welfare, not your own. Many many people will point out another's sins because they feel they have been cheated on, lied to, stolen from, or otherwise taken advantage of. We point out sins out of revenge and anger instead of true consideration and love for the individual. For example, a friend of mine asks for money for gas to get home then posts pictures of how they went out and partied after receiving money from me. By pointing out that lying is a sin and they should feel shameful for their actions, I doubt I would be doing it out of concern for their soul. I would likely be pointing out the shortcomings because of my own personal feelings of anger, betrayal and hurt......unfair and sinful judgement---on my part!! So we then start this vicious cycle of sin- he sins, she judges unrighteously, he gets angered, she gets angered, he leaves, she leaves, and so it goes. If I were to step back after loaning them the monies in the examply and ask myself, "would Jesus tell them to repent for lying to me?" I don't believe that he would. I think he would tell me to love them unconditionally and forgive quickly.

We never know what is happening in another's life. Perhaps the friend in my example only needed money to get home to get their cash, perhaps their friend invited them out and paid for everything, perhaps they went out to forget unwanted feelings or emotions, perhaps they went to pick up another friend that otherwise would have driven intoxicated and killed someone or themselves. These are the things that we as humans have no way of including in judgement. That's why all judgement should be left up to the one who is all-knowing. Yes, we get angry. We feel betrayed. We are hurt. We are sad. For all these things we experience, we should turn our hearts to God. We should ask God for comfort and relief from these feelings. We should ask him for guidance in navigating the situation without judging them or turning away from them. We should pray and connect with God. Then give it all to Him. He will judge and forgive. All sins committed whether against other humans (lying, cheating, stealing, abusing, etc.) ones' own self (self mutilation, gluttony, lust, pleasure, etc.) or against God himself, they are all forwarded to Him. He is the judge, jury, and jailer/executioner. All sins committed are His to deal with as He sees fit. Don't let another's transgressions cause you to commit sin against them. Leave it to God. Leave it ALL to God.