Yesterday, there was a brief “discussion” at my kitchen table that left me a bit shaken and chagrined. I was remarking about some of the grandmas (babushkas) who I see at the deli counter in the supermarkets (yes we have supermarkets in Ukraine). They always seem to take forever when they get to the counter. They ask questions like, “How fresh is it?” or “Is it today’s sausage?” or other questions I don’t comprehend. The girls behind the counters roll their eyes and often say “I don’t know” or something to that effect. I cannot always understand their words, but their faces and body language tell it all.
Those of us standing in line shift from foot to foot peering over each others' shoulders trying to see what is going on and wondering what the hold up is. We all just wish that they would either leave or make up their mind and get out of line so that we can get on with our shopping, as we know what we want. To me, they seem rude and inconsiderate of the rest of us standing in line. But in sharing this with my family I got a reaction I wasn’t looking for.
I was expecting “Yes, isn’t it a bother” or something like that, but instead my wife said with some sadness in her voice and a bit or rejoinder, “Maybe they are just lonely and want to talk so someone!”
My immediate reaction was one of feeling criticized, and I said as much and feeling oh so vindicated in doing so. My wife quickly left the table without another word, leaving her lunch unfinished. After I had some time to think about it and with some prompting of the Holy Spirit in the person of Miss Emily Marie Mark, I was convinced of the truth of my wife’s words. I was left feeling small and embarrassed. I, the man of God who proclaims Jesus at every opportunity and thinks himself the great teacher of the Word of God, was caught in my own sin and pride. My wife had clearly taken the way of Christ, while I had been playing the part of the indigent and self-righteous Pharisee.
How easy it is to become puffed up in our knowledge and find reasons to criticize others, without having all the facts. Proverbs says, “One witness seems right until another comes along” and “There is a way that seems right to a man but the end of it is death."
There are rude and selfish people in the world, but my job is not to convict them of their sin or point out how righteous I am compared to them. My job isn’t to judge others but rather to love even my enemies and to pray for those who treat me despitefully.
So maybe I will take my wife’s suggestion and think better of them (the babushkas), pray for them, smile at them and, God willing and the opportunity presents itself, talk with them.
Matthew 7:1-5NIV
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
In Christ,
Alan
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Tit for Tat
The following blog was posted over on PreacherAl on the 12 of December 2007... I thought it belonged over in this one...
Tit for Tat
Today, I found my mind wandering down a path. And I realized I had an ingrained thought pattern that said it was okay to get even with someone. The more I looked at it the more I found its ugly signature all throughout my thinking. If someone irritates me… it's okay to flick them. If someone does something to me then I have the right to do that same back to them even if it's wrong.
The Bible says “Vengeance is mine!” says the Lord. Too often I want to extract my vengeance albeit a small revenge, but it's all the same. How often do we do this? If someone calls us a bad name we feel obliged to do the same. If someone points out our sin, we have to make sure that they know about their sin too. It's not pretty and I find it at work in and all around me. I find it at work in me!
I must confess it is sin. I have this kind of self-righteous, thinking I am deserving of fair treatment kind of righteousness. I know this attitude is not of God, yet too often I hear it all around me in the body of Christ. I’ll really try not to beat up on too many of you, as Jesus calls me to get the log out of my own eye first, before worrying about the speck in my neighbor's eye. But I have noticed that I have this log in my eye so as I pull my log out I hope it will help you maybe see your own.
I know it is a worldly attitude that we get growing up. We all learn about retaliation in its various forms. Some people are bullish about it. They force their ways, they hit, they, shove, they name call, they insult, they shame others, all so they can feel like they got theirs in. Others of us are less obvious but just as ugly. We are passive-aggressive. We never do anything overt, but we still find a way to ignore someone’s request or find some excuse not to help. These kinds of little retaliations are pitiful, but still just as sinful in nature.
The Bible encourages us to love others, consider others’ needs above our own. We are called to love our enemies and forgive those who transgress against us. Yet as I look in the mirror, I am struck by this part of me that is not of God. This part that says I have the right to payback wrong for wrong. It says if someone sins against you… return them the favor. Now I know it is wrong to act this way. I know this is not the mind of Christ, but yet there is this part of me that says, "Well that’s how it is. Its okay to smack someone who smacks you. It is okay to take someone to court who wrongs you" but that is the world speaking. It is not Christ speaking. I want to follow in the foot steps of my Master, but it is hard sometimes; hard because I don’t want to repent of my sinful attitudes, I don’t want to trust in His ways, I want to trust in the ways I have learned to live. I think somehow I am deserving of a self-empowered justice. It's only fair, isn't it?
God isn't fair as we understand fair. He is just. He does what is right, He repays wrongs, but He also forgives the sinner. Just because we think we are deserving of something doesn't mean it fits into God’s idea of justice. “It's not fair Mother!” the teenager cries, “All the other girls got the new iPod Nano. Mine only has 10 gigs, theirs have 40!” But is it fair that other children's parents cannot even afford food and basic needs? Our sense of fairness is so self-centered. How often do we really think about justice in the sense that God does? He cares about the widows and the orphans. Do we? He cares about the homeless and prostitute, do we? Do our lives reflect His sense of justice or is it just about us getting either what we want or what we think we deserve or need?
Okay, where was I? Okay, so I recognize that in me is this need to get my way, to even get even with others over minor things. It really bothers me when I see people driving recklessly; especially in residential districts. I would like nothing better than the citizens of my neighbor hood to take up all the chestnuts that fall every autumn and carry some with them so that when ever they say a car driving recklessly (too fast or blowing through an intersection or crosswalk) they could take those chestnuts and throw them at those drivers. It would make a part of me so happy, but I know it's not the Jesus way. We are shown repeatedly in the New Testament that the only way to overcome evil is with good. Even in Proverbs, it says “A kind word turns away wrath.” Revenge, even in the smallest things is not really Christian. Its worldly and we are called to not walk as the world walks. And as we know little things lead to bigger things.
I’m a pastor and I have seen lots of ugly behavior on the part of Christians and they talk like they are in the right and are justified. It makes me sad. I have seen spouses commit adultery because they were convinced their own spouse was already committing it. I have seen Christians take Christians to court. This is a huge no-no. I have seen men and women trade insults back and forth in this kind of tit for tat kind of pattern. It's not pretty people, but it has been ingrained in us by this world system.
I ask you to join with me now and repent of this sinful thought pattern that says its okay to trade wrong for wrong. It's OF THE DEVIL! We are not called to live that way. We are called to forgive quickly, to not keep track of wrongs and to love others in a way that the world can’t comprehend. I can go on an on about this forever but let's just end it here. We don’t need this kind of attitude. It's not a Kingdom of God kind of attitude. Its an ugly, self-centered, me-first, worldly kind of thinking that only leads to death. Let's repent of it not only in the big things… but even in the littlest, seemingly innocent need to get even with our friends, neighbors and enemies.
Be blessed this day I pray
In Him,
Preacher Al
Tit for Tat
Today, I found my mind wandering down a path. And I realized I had an ingrained thought pattern that said it was okay to get even with someone. The more I looked at it the more I found its ugly signature all throughout my thinking. If someone irritates me… it's okay to flick them. If someone does something to me then I have the right to do that same back to them even if it's wrong.
The Bible says “Vengeance is mine!” says the Lord. Too often I want to extract my vengeance albeit a small revenge, but it's all the same. How often do we do this? If someone calls us a bad name we feel obliged to do the same. If someone points out our sin, we have to make sure that they know about their sin too. It's not pretty and I find it at work in and all around me. I find it at work in me!
I must confess it is sin. I have this kind of self-righteous, thinking I am deserving of fair treatment kind of righteousness. I know this attitude is not of God, yet too often I hear it all around me in the body of Christ. I’ll really try not to beat up on too many of you, as Jesus calls me to get the log out of my own eye first, before worrying about the speck in my neighbor's eye. But I have noticed that I have this log in my eye so as I pull my log out I hope it will help you maybe see your own.
I know it is a worldly attitude that we get growing up. We all learn about retaliation in its various forms. Some people are bullish about it. They force their ways, they hit, they, shove, they name call, they insult, they shame others, all so they can feel like they got theirs in. Others of us are less obvious but just as ugly. We are passive-aggressive. We never do anything overt, but we still find a way to ignore someone’s request or find some excuse not to help. These kinds of little retaliations are pitiful, but still just as sinful in nature.
The Bible encourages us to love others, consider others’ needs above our own. We are called to love our enemies and forgive those who transgress against us. Yet as I look in the mirror, I am struck by this part of me that is not of God. This part that says I have the right to payback wrong for wrong. It says if someone sins against you… return them the favor. Now I know it is wrong to act this way. I know this is not the mind of Christ, but yet there is this part of me that says, "Well that’s how it is. Its okay to smack someone who smacks you. It is okay to take someone to court who wrongs you" but that is the world speaking. It is not Christ speaking. I want to follow in the foot steps of my Master, but it is hard sometimes; hard because I don’t want to repent of my sinful attitudes, I don’t want to trust in His ways, I want to trust in the ways I have learned to live. I think somehow I am deserving of a self-empowered justice. It's only fair, isn't it?
God isn't fair as we understand fair. He is just. He does what is right, He repays wrongs, but He also forgives the sinner. Just because we think we are deserving of something doesn't mean it fits into God’s idea of justice. “It's not fair Mother!” the teenager cries, “All the other girls got the new iPod Nano. Mine only has 10 gigs, theirs have 40!” But is it fair that other children's parents cannot even afford food and basic needs? Our sense of fairness is so self-centered. How often do we really think about justice in the sense that God does? He cares about the widows and the orphans. Do we? He cares about the homeless and prostitute, do we? Do our lives reflect His sense of justice or is it just about us getting either what we want or what we think we deserve or need?
Okay, where was I? Okay, so I recognize that in me is this need to get my way, to even get even with others over minor things. It really bothers me when I see people driving recklessly; especially in residential districts. I would like nothing better than the citizens of my neighbor hood to take up all the chestnuts that fall every autumn and carry some with them so that when ever they say a car driving recklessly (too fast or blowing through an intersection or crosswalk) they could take those chestnuts and throw them at those drivers. It would make a part of me so happy, but I know it's not the Jesus way. We are shown repeatedly in the New Testament that the only way to overcome evil is with good. Even in Proverbs, it says “A kind word turns away wrath.” Revenge, even in the smallest things is not really Christian. Its worldly and we are called to not walk as the world walks. And as we know little things lead to bigger things.
I’m a pastor and I have seen lots of ugly behavior on the part of Christians and they talk like they are in the right and are justified. It makes me sad. I have seen spouses commit adultery because they were convinced their own spouse was already committing it. I have seen Christians take Christians to court. This is a huge no-no. I have seen men and women trade insults back and forth in this kind of tit for tat kind of pattern. It's not pretty people, but it has been ingrained in us by this world system.
I ask you to join with me now and repent of this sinful thought pattern that says its okay to trade wrong for wrong. It's OF THE DEVIL! We are not called to live that way. We are called to forgive quickly, to not keep track of wrongs and to love others in a way that the world can’t comprehend. I can go on an on about this forever but let's just end it here. We don’t need this kind of attitude. It's not a Kingdom of God kind of attitude. Its an ugly, self-centered, me-first, worldly kind of thinking that only leads to death. Let's repent of it not only in the big things… but even in the littlest, seemingly innocent need to get even with our friends, neighbors and enemies.
Be blessed this day I pray
In Him,
Preacher Al
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Opening Thoughts
One of my other blogs in Preacher Al's blog made me stop and think. The pastor that I had the greatest respect for was one whose preaching style was transparent. He wasn't the guy who had it all together. He had problems. He wasn't the perfect father or husband. But he loved God and as God revealed things to him he shared them in some of his sermons. He often had illustrations from his personal life of how God was dealing with him, or how he had failed to uphold a godly principle and then was working to set it right.
So anyway the Scripture passage of Matthew 7:1-5, was very key to my early Christian development. As of late, they are coming back to me as God the Holy Spirit deals with things in my life. I am often prone to finding fault with my brothers and sisters in Christ who aren't quite perfect enough to suit me. So for all of you who have had to read my rants and feel picked on, this one is for you. I hope to be a real as I can about what God is teaching me about how I can better shine is light and love.
Tony, this one's for You!
So anyway the Scripture passage of Matthew 7:1-5, was very key to my early Christian development. As of late, they are coming back to me as God the Holy Spirit deals with things in my life. I am often prone to finding fault with my brothers and sisters in Christ who aren't quite perfect enough to suit me. So for all of you who have had to read my rants and feel picked on, this one is for you. I hope to be a real as I can about what God is teaching me about how I can better shine is light and love.
Tony, this one's for You!
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