Deep breath...here we go...
Ahhh... Friday night.. I made it through EXTREME sickness on Wednesday...and I have warm pajamas on after a nice long bath. My homework is all turned in and I have a night to just watch t.v.! I didn't even get to do this on the two week break from work. Thank you Jesus, you know I needed a break.
Speaking of Jesus, I want to point something out that I see CONSTANTLY from fellow Christians, some I even call friends (and we're all guilty of it, but I've worked on changing it and now I really want to speak my mind on it. Get ready. I'm pouring it out today.
We judge each other as humans about the smallest things, body, wealth, health, who they are dating,...etc....I'm guilty. It shouldn't happen! I am working to change that.
However I want to point out that as Christians, we should make it a MISSION not to judge someone's faith. We judge one another and gossip if someone sins, we disassociate ourselves immediately from those people and "cast them out" from our "Christian click" and say we do not approve of their "sinful ways". I see not approving them, but are you accepting them and saying, "I am praying for you!" Are you giving them joy they need in their life? Or are you turning the other cheek to avoid a "sticky situation". It is one thing to not condone an action, but another thing to not treat the person EXACTLY the way you would someone else. If you treat them differently, it should only be with more love and encouragement.
Why would a person who is a non believer or back slid from their faith want to reach out to God who's people on earth give judging eyes and turn their heads? We live in the real world. A world with broken marriages, drugs, hate, and babies (yes, babies before marriage!) And let me MAKE THIS CLEAR I am NOT PREGNANT or condoning any of the worldly things listed nor downing any of them, just stating their mere existence. They were the examples I could think of). I am just saying, unless someone reaches out with a smile, a warm and humble invitation to church, and just treat them like a REAL person they probably will never turn to God or see the error of their ways. In that case are you doing you job as a Christian.
One of the most influential women in my life, who I rarely get to see with me living out of town, but dearly love is Marcelle Crow. She preaches in the jails of Monroe. She speaks kindness to the homeless, the addicts, the ladies who sale their bodies, and she teaches them the word. They have had rough times, some have done drugs, some have had pre-marital sex and had kids, and lived rough lives. She prays for them even before they are ready to pray for themselves. Are we doing this by saying, "I don't support that?" Are we loving people who need it the most? I understand that everyone does not have the time to do all the amazing things this woman of God does, but we can do the EXACT same thing for our friends who make a mistake. We can pray for them, maybe they made a mistake and sinned. Maybe they were not raised in church like many of us? But that does make them any less worthy of God's love or ours!
Please ask yourself, is your opinion a Christian based one as you claim, or a personally based one?
Now, hear me out, I understand if you want to go with the right crowd to bring yourself up and not down. This is fine, but often prayer requests turn to gossip with shaking heads and people just say "Oh, I don't approve of this because I heard they did this (WHAT A SIN)!? Oh MY!!" Well guess what, we are ALL sinners. We will all be judged, the one perfect man has ascended into Heaven.
That's my soap box, and if you seem offended, the post is supposed to be based on my Christian opinion of who I am, and I am quite frankly tired of keeping my mouth shut to make people get along with me. I want to be Christina, a girl with my own thoughts and opinions and I want to free myself from others judgements. I am judged all the time, but I have grown into a woman who God made me. If you feel attacked, don't. It's towards society as a general and this post has been in the making since i was a teenager. I woke up with this thought on my mind ALL day, and was afraid to post it. But I am realizing God speaks to me most in my dreams, my thoughts that don't go away need to be said. So here you go ....
I love you all, no matter what you do and I will always be your friends even if you slip of back slide. I am not perfect and I realize you are not either. I love you for your imperfections. I pray for you and wish your life the best of happiness and I hope in the tough times you do turn to God. He loves you no matter what.
Oh and if you need some scripture to back me up on judging here ya go:
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:41 "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?
John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
James 4:11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
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