When I joined Facebook a couple of years ago, I was excited! It is an awesome way to reconnect with friends and colleagues with whom I would otherwise have no contact. Now, however, I have seen sides of people I wish I had never seen. I am terribly disappointed and dismayed. True character is revealed in hard times. The saddest part is the people who are preaching the loudest are the non-believers or the secret believers who know better than to air their dirty laundry and pick fights on a very public Internet website. Forget Christianity for a moment and let's talk about class. What caliber are you? Do you not respect yourself more than that much less the innocents who have no control over what you post? I shouldn't have to guard my page since I get to choose who will be my Facebook friends.
Another disheartening phrase I continually see repeated is "so-called Christians." I have seen this phrase tossed around more times in the past two years than I have in my almost 35 years on this earth. Luke 6:37 reminds us "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." I have found over the years that I could know what someone was doing to me behind my back by what they were accusing me of to my face. Rather than trying to determine if someone else is a "so-called Christian," let's find out if we are true Christians or if we are the ones who are "so-called."
So, let's go to Scripture for it is His Word by which we should measure ourselves.
Let's begin with the book of Matthew in which we learn that a tree, good or bad, is recognized by the fruit it bears. In chapter 7, Jesus teaches us to discern false prophets by their fruit. In chapter 12, we learn that we can discern good from evil by the same means. We look at the fruit for "from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." In other words, if there is anger, bitterness, strife, envy, and all other forms of malice in a person's heart, it will not take very long for that venom to be spewed from their mouths and it usually comes out "loud and proud" and lands onto anyone standing near them, typically an innocent bystander.
Galatians 5:22 gives us the following list of characteristics that we Christians should portray. They are as follows: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We find in Proverbs 11:30 that "the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives." This tells me that I can either bring life to a person or a situation or I can bring death. With all of the things I have been through in my life, I would sooner die myself than to make someone else feel the way I have been made to feel. I want to bring life to those around me. When people spend time with me, I want them to go away wanting to come back, wanting more time with me. I have actually been around those who will suck the very life out of you and then move on to their next victim. Choose LIFE.
Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The good news, however, is that Christ came to forgive us of our sins and for the riddance of ALL guilt. This means that no one has arrived. No one has all the answers and certainly no one has the right to judge. We are forgiven because of what Christ did at Calvary. We are Christians because we are striving to be like Christ and to fulfill our purpose on this earth. “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." (John 4:34) Everyone and everything else is quite frankly irrelevant.
Finally, James 3:17, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
So, I now ask myself...How do I measure up?
1. What flows from my heart and out of my mouth? Is it love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness? Or do I spew malicious venom? Are the good words of my mouth muffled by my not-so-Christlike actions? Are my Christlike actions voided by the ungodly words coming from my mouth?
2. When people look at me do they see the fruits of the Spirit springing forth or am I a withered branch that has fallen from the Vine? Is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control abundantly displayed in my life and in my actions? Or have I painted an untrue picture of myself?
3. Do I bring life or death? Do people leave refreshed or do they have to go find another place to be replenished? Am I saving lives, winning souls or am I killing my witness?
4. Do I force my opinions on people about a matter that is none of my business or am I impartial as the Word says? Am I peace-loving or do I stir up trouble? Am I full of mercy and good fruit?
Lord, it is my prayer, that I will not see all of those things swirling around me because my eyes are so fixed and so focused on you. Help me to remain impartial as Your Word says and to not judge as I am not worthy of such a high calling nor could I bear the responsibility. You alone are God and You alone are the Righteous Judge. Work on my flaws, prune my branches, that I might bear much fruit for Your Kingdom!
James 4:12 "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?"
Another disheartening phrase I continually see repeated is "so-called Christians." I have seen this phrase tossed around more times in the past two years than I have in my almost 35 years on this earth. Luke 6:37 reminds us "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." I have found over the years that I could know what someone was doing to me behind my back by what they were accusing me of to my face. Rather than trying to determine if someone else is a "so-called Christian," let's find out if we are true Christians or if we are the ones who are "so-called."
So, let's go to Scripture for it is His Word by which we should measure ourselves.
Let's begin with the book of Matthew in which we learn that a tree, good or bad, is recognized by the fruit it bears. In chapter 7, Jesus teaches us to discern false prophets by their fruit. In chapter 12, we learn that we can discern good from evil by the same means. We look at the fruit for "from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." In other words, if there is anger, bitterness, strife, envy, and all other forms of malice in a person's heart, it will not take very long for that venom to be spewed from their mouths and it usually comes out "loud and proud" and lands onto anyone standing near them, typically an innocent bystander.
Galatians 5:22 gives us the following list of characteristics that we Christians should portray. They are as follows: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We find in Proverbs 11:30 that "the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives." This tells me that I can either bring life to a person or a situation or I can bring death. With all of the things I have been through in my life, I would sooner die myself than to make someone else feel the way I have been made to feel. I want to bring life to those around me. When people spend time with me, I want them to go away wanting to come back, wanting more time with me. I have actually been around those who will suck the very life out of you and then move on to their next victim. Choose LIFE.
Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The good news, however, is that Christ came to forgive us of our sins and for the riddance of ALL guilt. This means that no one has arrived. No one has all the answers and certainly no one has the right to judge. We are forgiven because of what Christ did at Calvary. We are Christians because we are striving to be like Christ and to fulfill our purpose on this earth. “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." (John 4:34) Everyone and everything else is quite frankly irrelevant.
Finally, James 3:17, "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
So, I now ask myself...How do I measure up?
1. What flows from my heart and out of my mouth? Is it love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness? Or do I spew malicious venom? Are the good words of my mouth muffled by my not-so-Christlike actions? Are my Christlike actions voided by the ungodly words coming from my mouth?
2. When people look at me do they see the fruits of the Spirit springing forth or am I a withered branch that has fallen from the Vine? Is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control abundantly displayed in my life and in my actions? Or have I painted an untrue picture of myself?
3. Do I bring life or death? Do people leave refreshed or do they have to go find another place to be replenished? Am I saving lives, winning souls or am I killing my witness?
4. Do I force my opinions on people about a matter that is none of my business or am I impartial as the Word says? Am I peace-loving or do I stir up trouble? Am I full of mercy and good fruit?
Lord, it is my prayer, that I will not see all of those things swirling around me because my eyes are so fixed and so focused on you. Help me to remain impartial as Your Word says and to not judge as I am not worthy of such a high calling nor could I bear the responsibility. You alone are God and You alone are the Righteous Judge. Work on my flaws, prune my branches, that I might bear much fruit for Your Kingdom!
James 4:12 "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?"
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