Monday, January 20, 2014

Do Not Consume One Another

Do Not Consume One Another
I heard this woman on the radio taking about her pet peeve and she said she was a grammar nazi. Actually, it sounded more like she was bragging about it and attempting to justify this. 

As I listened to her I thought this sounds like pride!

I began to think about my deduction and I wondered if we all had pet peeves like that and if perhaps I had a pet peeve? I asked myself what my pet peeve might be? And I immediately and also quite pridefully said my pet peeve is people who answer a question before hearing it and people who don't really listen, but answer a different question than was asked. Then these two scriptures came to my mind: 

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Luke 6:31 

"But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another."  Galatians 5:15 (ESV)

It seems to be taking me so long to learn some of this stuff. But God is breaking down my walls of denial, unbelief, and self righteousness.

It seems like in my life there have always been an enormous amount of people knocking me down. I almost never made it back up the last time. But God has been showing me how to lean on Him and fall on Him. He has also been showing me I can trust Him. My faith has increased greatly. But still, there seems to be so many people who want to knock me down. I have to ask myself the question.....

"Am I one of those people who knocks others down? Do I bite and devour others?" 

I so much want to say that I never do that and I never have. But I can't say that. 

While I firmly believe we are to recognize sin when we see it, (Sin is a terrible thing. If we can't recognize sin, how can we help a brother or sister who has become tangled up in sin be set free?) I think the point is, when we recognize sin what do we do with that knowledge? 

For starters, I think it depends on our relationship to the person. But we should certainly pray for wisdom and guidance from our Heavenly Father. Perhaps that is as far as He would have us take it. But if He does direct us to go to the person, then we need to approach them in a spirit of meekness and fear least we also fall prey. 

I think when He says we are not to judge, He means like we are not to have the attitude of "Thank God I am not like that person!" Or "I would never do that!" 

"Watch out that you are not consumed by one another." 

This seemed  to explain everything. I was consuming others and being consumed by others! I would even judge them for consuming me, but I would justify my consuming others.

Christians destroying Christians! Oh my! This really is as bad as it sounds. 

Lord help us love one another. Help us to "not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but give a blessing instead." 1 Peter 3:9 

I have such a long way to go. But thankfully, God IS God and he is faithful to complete the good work He began. 

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." 
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Thank God we have hope in Christ!!! Amen.

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