In the course of a day, how long does it take for you to hear one person say something negative about another? Turn on the news, and it will likely take seconds. Go to work, and it might take longer, but more than likely, you’ll hear someone say something negative about a co-worker, another business, another nurse, etc.
We’ve all done it. Whether we admit it or not, we’ve all judged another for the way they’ve looked, the way they’ve walked, their academics, or work ethic. The list can go on and on. But why? All of us at one time or another, have also been the brunt of a mean joke or looked down on by another person for the same type of thing.
As Christians, we know we have a sinful nature. We know that our sinful nature can show up at any time, but as Christians we have to try to be more Christ-like. And, when we do make mistakes, and we will, we need to confess those sins.
Billy Graham once said, “It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.”
This quote has three very distinct absolutes. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, which means when we’ve said, thought or done something that is sinful, the Holy Spirit will convict of that sin. What we do with that conviction is very important. We cannot just sit idle, we need to confess our sin and perhaps go to the other person for an apology, if needed. Secondly, it is only God’s job to judge. It does not say it is sometimes our job, or every Tuesday and Thursday we can have our round of judging, but it is only God’s job alone! Period! Thirdly, it is my job to love. If it is my job to love, what does that look and sound like? That means, as a Christian, I need to love as Jesus loves, unconditionally, without judgment, to all people. That looks like being kind to all of my neighbors, despite their political or religious affiliation, that means loving people of all races, that means loving others that are different than myself. It means using kind words that come out of my mouth, but more importantly ones in my head as well.
Billy Graham was a wise man. Such a simple sentence, but packed with incredible wisdom and biblical truth.
As humans, we are not perfect, and never will be. However, we can strive to have these three things be the foundation for how we treat others. Keep Pressing On!
Blessings Sweet Friends,
Stacy
Good One God 