Is something ever heavy on your heart? Heavy that you know it's not going to be popular and that some people may decide that they hate you for saying it? Heavy that you know that you need to let people know where you stand? I pray that as I write this you will see my heart, if you do not already know it. Alright, I got to lay on the heavy at my doorstep first then extend it to the world.
I don't know when it happened, but somewhere in the history of the church we stopped calling sin sin. We started using pretty words to dress up the ugly truth. Pretty little words such as worry and pride. We became known for our judgementalism, so quick to point out the sin in others and have our eyes closed to our own, after all ours was a pretty little word called pride.
Matthew 7:1-5 "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."
1 John 3:15 "Anyone who hates a brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them."
James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
There is the heavy at my own doorstep. This is even why I hesitate to write what I have to write. I know I am far from perfect and about a year ago I started really looking at myself, my attitudes, thoughts, and choices. I started calling the sin in my life exactly that, sin. I didn't call it worry, well I did, but I acknowledged that it wasn't just a pretty word, it was a sin. Pride is sin. Playing judge and jury is a sin, although I believe it's connected to another little one we call pride. But guess what, whatever our sin, it keeps us from God. I am not writing this to point out one specific sin, because I know that I am as guilty as the next guy. Some people think that there is levels of sin, but the truth is that it all keeps us from God. Yes, some sin has a greater consequence here on earth, obviously if you murder somebody you will go to jail, but if you are prideful your greatest consequence will be that separation from God and possibly people not really liking you for character traits that you portray.
All this is said to hopefully give you a snap shot of my heart. To challenge you, if you call yourself a Christian. To ask myself, does my life really look any different? I am looking to myself first before telling you my heart on a topic that if you agree with know that I am not here to judge, that is actually the farthest thing from my mind. I just want people to know where I stand, just as you do. I want people to know where I stand in the fact that I want you to know that yes, I am different. Some may call me old fashioned and that is ok with me, because if you ask me the bible is not old fashioned. It is just a relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.
Pride, worry, anger, murder, homosexuality are all sins. Our country condones sin, they legalize sin. Everywhere I look equal marriage and homosexuality is thrown in my face. I usually just keep my mouth shut because I do not want to offend. I fear that my objection will be seen as being judgmental or that I hate the people who have made this choice for their life. That is so far from the truth. As I write this my eyes are tearing up because I am so afraid that people will not see my heart, which is to simply say this is who I am this is what a believe and if you have chosen this lifestyle I still love you but I cannot say that it is ok. I cannot say that I approve because I have chosen to live by a law higher than I. I believe in God and his word, the Bible. And I also want to admonish other Christians that we are to hate the sin, not the people. In fact, we should love the people even more, because didn't Christ indeed die for all the sins of the world. In his dying breaths he looked to the thief beside him and said that his sins were forgiven and he would see him today in paradise. Nobody has ever been won over with hate and judgement, but also if we do not stand up state what we believe we are not doing what we have been called to. To be a witness, to love people just as Christ loved us. I know I mess up all the time and I know I am so thankful for the grace and forgiveness of my heavenly father.
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