Romans 14

"Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters..."  Nobody says it quite like God does.  God, in His infinite wisdom, mercy, and perfection, would have His people love one another and all people, for that matter.  I've had the privilege of being friends from widely varied walks of life and I try to remain true to my friends, no matter the changes they experience in their own lives.  It's sad to me that so few Christians can say the same.  I'm amazed that there are people who consider themselves to be of God so MUCH so that they have to separate themselves from other factions of like-minded faithful due to politics, clout, and "disputable matters".  They don't want to take in all the scriptures on mercy and long suffering, rather honing in on one or two, when taken out of context and abused, can be made to say whatever the speaker wants it to.  These people so vehemently defend their ignorance that they've become absolutely unteachable.  They'll defend their self-righteous, arrogant point of view and those like them right to the gates of hellfire.  I was shunned last night.  Not only was I shunned, I was slammed by the Shunner, based on gossip and mistruths the Shunner had heard from other "respectable, saved" people.  It's okay to gossip.  Oh, yeah, it's not gossip if the gossiper is somebody you respect.  Also, you (the victim), should ignore the gossip, gossiper, and the pursuant damage to your psyche, reputation, and faith because you aren't living right by their standards, so you're wrong no matter what.  Ever heard of the old heads and tails game - "heads I win, tails you lose"?  That's the name of their game.  I wonder how many souls have been won by this self-proclaimed child of God?  Is the number proportionate to the number of years they've been "saved"?  Is it higher than the number of people they've run off with their tactless mouth?  Yeah, I'm being judgmental, but I don't profess to be a great Christian.  I'm nobody, but at least I know it.  They'll know it when their long sleeves and floor-skimming skirts are stripped away and all that's left is their heart.  It'll be too late then.

Judge Not...

Have you ever heard something about someone that changed your perception of that person?  Have you ever spoken something you knew was a conflagration of the truth?  How about repeating something that would be a blend of all things harmful, hurtful, and ugly, just because you're privy to a version of the truth?  Perhaps inserting yourself into an affair that reached a "DRAMA"tic apex?  I try to refrain from this sort of fray, because I believe my time is better spent focusing on my family, doing good, and working on my [many] shortcomings.  That's not to say I haven't been party, whether inadvertently or not, to some such situations.  I often find that gossip or hurtful things have been spoken to me before I'm even able to stop the words coming out of the destructive mouth.  Sometimes I have been curious to know the pain or "drama" (I HATE that word...), others have been enduring.  My curiosity was ill-advised at the time and regrettable still by me.  I'd rather not know.  Not knowing that you're who you are makes me like you (just a little bit) more.  I look at most people with fear, knowing very few have enough honor to try to remain above the sloth of humanity or the willpower to fight their fleshly, selfish desires.  In reading the 22nd chapter of Proverbs this morning, in addition to Isaiah 54 (thankfully recommended by my sister, a wise and good disciple), I realized this -  We are all dirt.  None better than the next, just less talked about because nobody cares about tearing some down because there's nothing to envy or be jealous about.  We all have our pettiness and trivialities that cause us moments of foolishness, HOWEVER that doesn't have to be our entire character.  You choose what comes out of your mouth, and by so doing, choosing how you are perceived, how well you are liked, and how many honest-to-goodness friends you really have.  I feel sheepish even posting this, because I'm nobody.  I'll be the first to tell you, I'm nothing.  No good.  Completely and utterly devoid and incapable of righteousness on my own.  Still, let me give you one more, all-important passage of scripture.  In Matthew, chapter 7, the Bible says, "²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?"  I am just getting some things off my chest.  If I've offended you, maybe some introspection is in fine order.  I know that's what I'm doing.  I'm going to change the world, but I'll start with me and let God handle the rest.