Having had struggles in both directions, in this morning’s
search for inspirational inserts to add to my homemade cards, each of these
quotes caught my heartstrings:
Proverbs 4:23New
International Version (NIV)
23 Above all else,
guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) 23 Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control
your life.
The broken opinions
people seem to have of me: is it simply my very good imagination or is it true
that every time this one looks at me I come up wanting as a Christian in his/her
eyes? Do I not look like Jesus to him/her?
Since I’ve seen
others post similar questions, I know I’m not the only one to have similar wonderings.
Here’s the rub:
Jesus has taught, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For with the
way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it will be
measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not
notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:1-3nasb) This section of
scripture, along with those regarding forgiving as I forgive others has helped
keep me better in line than I would be otherwise in my walk as God’s child. As I
read it this particular morning, impressed into my heart also came Luke
2:1-4(nasb):“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the
treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He
said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for
all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of
her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.’”
Do you see what I see? I don’t want to look up
to see that hurt look on the face of my Lord because in my own eyes, I have found myself giving better gifts (a “more
Christian life”, if you will) to Him,
than my lowly sister, nor do I want to be that looked-down-upon lowly sister. What
position would that put my brother or sister in if my imagination about his/her
attitude were correct?
Herein, lies more
of the struggle: am I judging?
Since this is not
an open, hostile action – simply one of questioning in the mind at this point –
the ideal of going to the person(s) directly to settle a conflict would be great.
Matthew 5:23-24(nasb):”Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before
the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come
and offer your gift.”
The real issue
here, being it may be I am imagining the whole thing, if handled by my going and
asking, “Have I done something to offend you?” could possibly come from outer
space as far as the recipient is aware, and an easy and honest, “No!” would
escape. (I would generally call first, so any get-together would not be a
surprise.)
However, just as with not only the way
someone looks at us, there are feelings that emanate between us as well. It may
be the way the person holds his/her body, given opportunity, almost never
appears to wish to have interaction, seems unwilling to share a friendly
smile when just about everyone else you meet does (but we must remember it
could be his/her nature to hold back), but, in keeping with trying to find why
the seeming conflict, should we catch such a someone unawares with such a
question as, “Have I done something to offend you?”, we might cause him/her embarrassment,
thus it’d be better to prepare with a phone or text message that, “I have something
I’d like to discuss with you sometime soon if you could have some time with me.”
Then, pray about your method of explaining and the way the hearer will be able
to receive your explanation. Be gentle. Ask. Do not accuse.
So, while I still
question, “Is it judging?”, whether it is or not,(I tend to lean towards it
is), it seems best soon gone like any other evil thoughts, reminding us of the
saying:
“You may not be able to stop a bird from
landing in your hair,
but you can keep it from building a nest there.”
We started this
message with the teaching to be careful what we think, because our thoughts
control our lives. (Proverbs 4:23erv) I also found this quote that is
applicable:
“Always pray to have eyes that see the best in
people,
a heart that forgives the worst,
a mind that forgets the bad,
and a soul that never loses faith in God.”
Treat as you would
want to be treated, remembering that whatever we do to others is the same as if
we did it directly to Jesus in person.
These are the ways we look like Jesus to others because these are the
ways He taught us to choose.
With these thoughts
in mind, the question due each one of us daily,
Do we look like Jesus to one another?
© M Sue
♡
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