If you know my family, you know we have a pretty
interesting dynamic. My sister and I, in particular, have a very interesting
relationship. She's 8 years younger than me, we share a room, I'm her coach for
soccer, and we're so close that we know what the other is thinking most of the
time. Like all siblings we have our fights, but we always make up fairly
quickly.
We were not always that close. When she was little she was super annoying but now it's like we are on a team together. In fact, we are on a team together. We are on a soccer team but we are also on Christ's team. We both have the same ideals because we both know Christ as our personal savior. I'm not sure there's someone on earth, other than maybe my mom, who knows me as well as my sister does.
However, there's someone who knows me better than I know myself. God knows my every thought. He is my friend, father, and savior. He knows my every quirk. He knows everything that may make me annoying to people. He knows every mistake I've made and he still loves me.
Sometimes I think Christians put too much of an emphasis on the judgement of God. We think that we need to "hate the sin and love the sinner," which isn't in the Bible by the way. We think that we need to be in the world but not of it, which is true but we take it too far sometimes.
The Greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment are basically to love God and love others. It's funny how that commandment doesn't say "Love others unless they are committing adultery." It doesn't say, "Judge others instead of love them." It just says to love them. Yes, there will be people in our lives who we see sinning; and, in love, we will need to go to them to try to keep them accountable. But, that doesn't mean we are to stop loving them if they don't listen.
Jesus spent his time with sinners and the sick. We are all sinners. We've all been there. Why is it so hard for us to remember it's not our place to judge? It's not our place to go to a sister and say, "Hey, I noticed that you've been gossiping a lot lately." And, if she doesn't change her ways, say to ourselves I'm not going to spend any more time with her. Yes, we need to be careful we don't fall into sin, but God will help us to not fall into temptation if we trust him. Even if we cannot spend time with that person anymore for different reasons we should still pray for her. If she needs help we should still help her. Jesus didn't always save people who believed in him. He saved sinners; he came to save us all. Why can't we show that kind of love to others too?
So, will you love others like a brother and a sister? Do you show God's love to others? Are you too judgmental at times?
We were not always that close. When she was little she was super annoying but now it's like we are on a team together. In fact, we are on a team together. We are on a soccer team but we are also on Christ's team. We both have the same ideals because we both know Christ as our personal savior. I'm not sure there's someone on earth, other than maybe my mom, who knows me as well as my sister does.
However, there's someone who knows me better than I know myself. God knows my every thought. He is my friend, father, and savior. He knows my every quirk. He knows everything that may make me annoying to people. He knows every mistake I've made and he still loves me.
Sometimes I think Christians put too much of an emphasis on the judgement of God. We think that we need to "hate the sin and love the sinner," which isn't in the Bible by the way. We think that we need to be in the world but not of it, which is true but we take it too far sometimes.
The Greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment are basically to love God and love others. It's funny how that commandment doesn't say "Love others unless they are committing adultery." It doesn't say, "Judge others instead of love them." It just says to love them. Yes, there will be people in our lives who we see sinning; and, in love, we will need to go to them to try to keep them accountable. But, that doesn't mean we are to stop loving them if they don't listen.
Jesus spent his time with sinners and the sick. We are all sinners. We've all been there. Why is it so hard for us to remember it's not our place to judge? It's not our place to go to a sister and say, "Hey, I noticed that you've been gossiping a lot lately." And, if she doesn't change her ways, say to ourselves I'm not going to spend any more time with her. Yes, we need to be careful we don't fall into sin, but God will help us to not fall into temptation if we trust him. Even if we cannot spend time with that person anymore for different reasons we should still pray for her. If she needs help we should still help her. Jesus didn't always save people who believed in him. He saved sinners; he came to save us all. Why can't we show that kind of love to others too?
So, will you love others like a brother and a sister? Do you show God's love to others? Are you too judgmental at times?
John 13:34-35, Matthew 22:36-40, Galatians 6:1-2
Image from here.
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