I have a lot of people ask me questions about what all I was bad at, or what is called sinned. In some ways I was a good person and in some ways I wasn't. I think for me the things that shocked me most were the things I thought were ok, neutral ground. There is no such thing as neutral ground. There are no gray areas. There is no grading on a curve. It is what it is, right or wrong and what you or I perceive in that definition doesn't count. I have also been asked if my bad was in real estate. It wasn't. My mom would have been disappointed in me if had I have done that, plus I was raised better.
So what was it that looked so bad? The list is too long to go in to and that alone would be a book. Rather than go into the worst of things, how about some of the gray areas. Some of the bad things I had done are pretty self evident. I can assure you that wrong is wrong and most of the wrongs are equal, it is only man that attributes levels of wrong in many cases. None it looks good or less bad when you view it. Thing is, will you confess to it. That is one reason I say practice honesty now. Make it a habit that you keep so that you will not mess up.
A lot of my life I told lies, mostly white lies, but lies just the same. One of the things I learned real fast at UPS was to be honest and let the chips fall where they may. We were however told from many times to lie to customers. Then there was the priority thing. I placed money and pats on the back at work before my family. I was my job. Then there were those times that we secretly made fun of people. They didn't know it, but God did. In my personal business I was pretty much heartless. Therein I learned that God don't see two people standing there, just one. No excuses are accepted. Just those offenses alone were many. Add to that pride. then the feeling of judging others, now there is the real kicker and worthy of a new paragraph.
How many times have you said or thought, "They made their own bed, now sleep in it." or similar. How many times has someone wrong you either intentionally or unintentionally then apologized and you didn't accept it. You may or may have said you did but in your heart you didn't. How many times have you said that a condition, emotional, monetary, physical, or anything else that is their problem. Or the famous words they did it to themselves which is usually followed by they can deal with it. How many times has someone asked for your help but you said no, when you really could have. How many times have you had more than what you needed (key word, needed) and someone else was in need and you did not help them. I done all of these and many times. How many times have you lusted for someone, even though you said nothing.
Now comes the kicker. It isn't just what you said and done but what you thought. Imagine your thoughts plus you're actions. For that matter, just your thoughts alone. How many things did you do for glory? How many things have you done for the wrong reasons. Hate gays or people of another or no faith. Think about that one. Notice the first word, hate. By now you can well imagine the terror. Nothing spoken, done, or thought is excluded. If you look at someone and feel better than they are, more righteous than they are, more deserving than they are... you've already fallen way short. We are not compared to anybody or anything on earth. We are all judged the same accountancy to God's laws. We stand alone in our own sins and account alone for them. But all is revealed. Yea, I was scared. If you have ever said let justice be served, pray that God doesn't serve justice on you. I am thankful that He didn't on me.
With all this accumulated I was forgiven. Not only forgiven but loved and welcomed with a clean slate. It was all forgotten. Wiped away. What I learned is that we judge our fellow man far more harshly than God judges us. True, there are things that we must make judgments on, but I think we overstep our bounds. Some people are so busy pointing out what someone else should be doing. In this I learned to let live and let go. I don't worry so much about the other person, theirs habits or likes or dislikes that may be wrong. I have enough on myself to worry about fixing, and I am a long ways from where I should be. I have learned to forgive, which I believe is a requirement.
So again I looked at the Bible to see if what I was taught that night was in writing. Here are a few excerpts.
Matthew 7:
1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Luke 6:
36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Mark 11: 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6 :
36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
So what was it that looked so bad? The list is too long to go in to and that alone would be a book. Rather than go into the worst of things, how about some of the gray areas. Some of the bad things I had done are pretty self evident. I can assure you that wrong is wrong and most of the wrongs are equal, it is only man that attributes levels of wrong in many cases. None it looks good or less bad when you view it. Thing is, will you confess to it. That is one reason I say practice honesty now. Make it a habit that you keep so that you will not mess up.
A lot of my life I told lies, mostly white lies, but lies just the same. One of the things I learned real fast at UPS was to be honest and let the chips fall where they may. We were however told from many times to lie to customers. Then there was the priority thing. I placed money and pats on the back at work before my family. I was my job. Then there were those times that we secretly made fun of people. They didn't know it, but God did. In my personal business I was pretty much heartless. Therein I learned that God don't see two people standing there, just one. No excuses are accepted. Just those offenses alone were many. Add to that pride. then the feeling of judging others, now there is the real kicker and worthy of a new paragraph.
How many times have you said or thought, "They made their own bed, now sleep in it." or similar. How many times has someone wrong you either intentionally or unintentionally then apologized and you didn't accept it. You may or may have said you did but in your heart you didn't. How many times have you said that a condition, emotional, monetary, physical, or anything else that is their problem. Or the famous words they did it to themselves which is usually followed by they can deal with it. How many times has someone asked for your help but you said no, when you really could have. How many times have you had more than what you needed (key word, needed) and someone else was in need and you did not help them. I done all of these and many times. How many times have you lusted for someone, even though you said nothing.
Now comes the kicker. It isn't just what you said and done but what you thought. Imagine your thoughts plus you're actions. For that matter, just your thoughts alone. How many things did you do for glory? How many things have you done for the wrong reasons. Hate gays or people of another or no faith. Think about that one. Notice the first word, hate. By now you can well imagine the terror. Nothing spoken, done, or thought is excluded. If you look at someone and feel better than they are, more righteous than they are, more deserving than they are... you've already fallen way short. We are not compared to anybody or anything on earth. We are all judged the same accountancy to God's laws. We stand alone in our own sins and account alone for them. But all is revealed. Yea, I was scared. If you have ever said let justice be served, pray that God doesn't serve justice on you. I am thankful that He didn't on me.
With all this accumulated I was forgiven. Not only forgiven but loved and welcomed with a clean slate. It was all forgotten. Wiped away. What I learned is that we judge our fellow man far more harshly than God judges us. True, there are things that we must make judgments on, but I think we overstep our bounds. Some people are so busy pointing out what someone else should be doing. In this I learned to let live and let go. I don't worry so much about the other person, theirs habits or likes or dislikes that may be wrong. I have enough on myself to worry about fixing, and I am a long ways from where I should be. I have learned to forgive, which I believe is a requirement.
So again I looked at the Bible to see if what I was taught that night was in writing. Here are a few excerpts.
Matthew 7:
1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Luke 6:
36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Matthew 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Mark 11: 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6 :
36Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Amen! Well said
ReplyDelete