Friday, January 08, 2010

Women of a Broken Bridge ~ Part Two

(continued from yesterday...)

As I continued to walk the rest of the way to my office I was all set to mentally judge them. True to His nature and character the Holy Spirit saw this as a teachable moment for me and for the next few moments He reminded me of similar such instances in my own life wherein I deliberately chose contrary to some stated rule or regulation. The obvious question was and is, "how am I/we so different than these two young adults? Better yet, how am I/we the same?"

In addition to this gracious rebuke, the Holy Spirit also reminded me of what the Lord says to us in Matthew. Plain and clear we are instructed not to judge.

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me remove the speck from your eye"; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. ~ Matthew 7:1-5

Apart from the saving grace of God, apart from His transforming grace we are all in the same boat, lost and sinking deep, deep, deeper into sin.

Dear sisters, here we are at the beginning of another year full of resolutions and promises to do better, to change the old to the new. Together let's choose change. Let's choose to allow the Holy Spirit to focus our attention on any and all areas of our life where we are cutting corners, taking short cuts, giving less, wasting more, etc.

Let's choose to dive into the water of the Word of God and be all that we can be for the glory of God.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. ~ Colossians 3:12-17

Stephanie

1 comment:

Merrilee Stevenson said...

Stephanie,

Thank you for writing this. While your pragmatic question "How's that working out for you?" was a good one, she avoided it by denying the truth (based on her friend's contradictions). And if you could see she had a Bible with her, you might have asked her if what she just said was consistent with what God's word says, since that is the authority we must all answer to. (But it's so hard to think on one's toes. Much easier when you can write and delete.)

But I am most appreciative of your charge to dive in to the Word of God, as it is the only thing that the Holy Spirit uses to convict us of sin.

Merrilee