Day 302: Jesus Doesn't Care About Status

James 2:1-9

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

THe scripture above is pretty self explanatory, but it shows the difference between how we as humans think and how God thinks. It shows how we as humans see people versus how God sees His children. The goal is to see people the way God sees them, to see them through a filter of love as opposed to judging them with our eyes. How many times have we judged someone based on their appearance or statue? How many times have we treated someone different because they looked different than us, or came from a different background? Let’s be honest, I am guilty of it, and when I think about I think of how wrong that was. God does not show partiality, He treats us all the same. He loves us all the same, it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, it doesn’t matter where you came from, what color your skin is, you are still a child of God. He does not care about our status. Do you think Jesus was thinking about status when He died for us, He died for all of us. HE died for every human being so that we all may have life. He didn’t come for just you or just me, He came for all of us. Every single one of us, that means we are all equal in His eyes, He did not care about our status or our background, He cares about us, His people.

I know many of us have judged people but also many of us have been judged by people and I can tell you it doesn’t feel good to be treated differently because you're not rich enough, you didn’t come from the right neighborhood or your skin isn’t the right color. God made us all equal and He doesn’t love us because of what we have, where we come from, or the color of our skin, He loves us because we are His children, He loves us because He is God and God is love. God’s love is unconditional, and that is how we must learn to love people.

The bible tells us time and time again to love our neighbor as ourselves, but if we are showing partiality, how are we loving our neighbor as ourselves. If we are passing judgements on people based on how they look how are we loving our neighbors like ourselves? We cannot dishonor God’s people and say that we love them at the same time. We do not get to decide if someone is worthy of our love, if we are walking this earth like Christ, everyone is worthy of our love. Everyone deserves to be loved. Loving people is not about us, it is about the other person, people need to know that they are loved. They need to know that beyond their looks, beyond their condition or situation, beyond their past, they are loved. Sometimes we make love selfish, love is the most selfless action their is. Can you imagine how that poor man must have felt when He was treated less important because he wasn’t wearing gold or nice garments? The honest truth is we have been all three people in the story. People make assumptions of who we are based on what they see and we have done the same thing. Let’s stop things cycle and start to walk, live, and love like Christ. When we are full of the Holy Spirit there is no room for anything that is unlike Christ.  

All this to say, if God is not judging anyone, what gives us the right to judge people. Show no partiality.

Reflection

1. Recall a time when you have been the person who was judgemental or the person being judged.
2. Looking back how do you feel about that?

Prayer Time

Take the time to ask God to search your heart and remove anything that is unlike Him. If you feel the need to repent by all means do so. Then take the time to pray for God’s people, pray that we will be a people that loves beyond what the eyes can see, that we will not judge people but love them.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening! Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 303!

Day 229: Pass No Judgement

Romans 14:1-6

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s alright to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

(Today’s devo is the first of three parts. For the next three days we will explore subjects that tie into one another or build on one another. It’s kind of like a mini series.)

The biggest point I want to make today is, do not pass judgement on someone because they live differently than you. Now I’ve seen this quote a multitude of times, however the word ‘live’ is replaced by the word, ‘sin’. But that’s not what I’m talking about today. I want to discuss how we as Christians are so quick to turn our noses up and look down on someone because they live differently than us. We tend to doubt someone’s Christianity because they aren’t living their life, or doing the things we think a Christian should do. We often project our lifestyles onto other people because we think our way is the only way. Maybe they’re more traditional in their faith and maybe they’re more contemporary or modern. Maybe they believe the Sabbath day is on a Saturday instead of a Sunday. Maybe they don’t eat certain things, or participate in certain activities because of their faith. Maybe you do all of these these because of your faith. What I’m getting at here is, it’s not a matter of how, and where, and when. But it’s more a matter of the heart. If we love God with every ounce of our being, and we know in our heart that He is God, and if we have confessed it with our mouths than we are saved. . If we truly live our lives dedicated to Him, then at the end of the day that’s all that matters.

I think sometimes we can get this “holier than thou” attitude, that somehow gives us to right to act superior to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We think that because we don’t live the exact same lifestyle then one of us must be doing it wrong. That is not the case at all, God gave us a choice and even in the will of God, we get to choose the type of lifestyle we want to lead. It’s not a matter of sin or righteousness, it’s just a choice.  Not all of us are going to make the same choices, but who are we to judge someone else because they decide that our life and our lifestyle isn’t for them.

Our generation can relate to this message a lot as millennials make up most of today’s contemporary churches. These churches get quite a bit of slack from the older generations and the more traditional churches. It’s a new type of church, where you don’t have to dress up, or have a traditional choir, there’s not really a pulpit for the clergy to sit on. It’s very unconventional. Different than what many of us grew up with.  However, it works, we may look different, or sound different, but the message is the same. Our worship time may look like a Hillsong United concert with the lights and ripped skinny jeans, but we are still singing about the goodness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our hearts are still near the cross. We profess our love for God. Traditional churches are the complete opposite. But the beautiful thing about it all, no matter what denomination, no matter where it is, how you look, there’s one thing we all have in common, the Good News. Every Christian church is preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I believe Romans 4:17-19 wraps this message up perfectly. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

All this to say, for lack of better words, don’t be petty. Don’t pass judgement on someone and doubt their devotion to Christ because their life does not look exactly like yours. We as the body of Christ should be lifting each other up, praying for one another every chance we get. That way, there’s no time or room to be petty and judgemental.  

Reflection

1. Have you ever passed judgement on someone because you felt they should be living a certain way as a Christian?
2. Has someone ever done it to you?
3. In both situations, how did it make you feel? Be honest.

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above question guide your prayer today. Ask God to search your heart and take any judgement towards His people out. Have an honest and intimate conversation with Him.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for day 230!

Day 202: Check Yourself

Romans 2:21-24

Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.

I’m sure we are all familiar with the statement, “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.” I especially remember my mom saying it to me whenever I was getting out of line. My mom would always tell us when we were younger, “charity starts at home”. Basically what she meant by that was, everything starts with us, before we can talk about anyone or lead anyone else we have to make sure that we have everything in order. I believe that the above scripture points directly to this statement. I think sometimes we can get caught up in what other people are doing that we don’t step back and take a look at ourselves. This is something I’ve seen happen so much in the church, especially towards the younger generation. We are judged for the lifestyle we lead by older people because they don’t approve. Even if we are leading a life dedicated to Christ, many times people will have a problem in they way that we do that as well.

I have been led by people who told me not to do something while they were doing that very thing, and it baffled me once I found out because I found so many of my elders were telling me what to do simply because they were my elders and apparently I’m required to listen to them. But if you are doing the very thing you're telling me not to do, how is that leadership. This is why many times the church is equated with hypocrisy. However I believe that we can change that and the way to do is highlighted in the scriptures. Check yourself before you check anyone else. There’s a couple of other scriptures I want to point to to drive this message home.

Matthew 7:3-5

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.  

We are in no place to judge, we have to live our lives everyday for ourselves making sure that we are living right. We don’t have time to be judging other people. Yes, we can lead people to Christ and teach them about Christ but first we have to be taught, we have to be led. Many times people become Christians and overnight they turn into someone who all of sudden has the right to point out every sin in someone and let them know that they will be punished by God. I’ve been on both sides of that. We can’t be a Christian for all of two minutes and then think we have so much together that we can start telling other people how to live. We need to learn how to live like Christ first, before we can teach anyone else. We have some specks in our eyes that need to be removed before we can even start to see clearly.

John 8: 7-9

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”  Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

This is a familiar passage to many of us, and what amazes me the most is that no one was able to cast a stone. No one but Jesus, who was the only one left standing there. These men were all revved up with stones in hand ready to kill this woman, without realizing that they themselves are in the same position as her. The were all sinners as well. Jesus gave them permission to cast the stone but only if they were without sin. At that moment they had to stop and think. They had to examine themselves and see that they were sinners same as this woman.

How many times have we been ready to throw a stone at someone else without checking ourselves first?

All this to say, check yourself. Make sure that you are living the way you’re supposed to before judging anyone else. In order to make the world a better place and advance God’s kingdom we must start with ourselves.

Reflection

1. Do you find yourself judging other people for their lifestyle and choices?
2. Are you without sin?
3. What are some things you need to work on as a Christian?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Talk to God about what we discussed today, ask Him to search your heart and help you change the things that need to be changed in your life.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 203!

Day 77: Don't Judge Me by Ariana Edgar

Today we have a guess writer, my Pastor and friend Ariana Edgar (pictured below). She and her husband Matt Edgar (also pictured below) lead Story Philly a church in Center City Philadelphia and just expanded to University City. If you are ever in Philadelphia stop by on Sunday evenings at 6 and 7:30pm.

How many times have we heard people say that sentence? And to be honest, I think a lot of times people use this sentence as a cop-out to live the way they want to live instead of living up to the Godly standard set before us. BUT there is some truth that rings to this catchy phrase.

A massive lesson that God has been teaching me lately is that He is the the ultimate judge… not us.

My husband and I started a church in Center City, Philly almost two years ago. And it is absolutely my favorite thing to do! For me #SundayFunday is the highlight of my week! I love building a flourishing community of people who come together and worship Jesus. I love that our church is such a relaxed, fun and welcoming place to be. All types of people come through our doors and hopefully leave experiencing the love of God.

My role in church, and as a general Christ follower, is to lead others to Christ in every way. Whether that’s leading a team, preaching a message, or doing one-on-one discipleship, I am always pointing people to Christ.

And as I develop, grow and mature in my relationship with God I am understanding more and more that I am undeniably fallible, will mess up, and will make mistakes.

I use to think that I understood God’s ways pretty well and that I was an A+ christian. Meaning I had it all together all the time; that there was no way I could mess up that bad as "So n’ So". I would think differently of "Blahsy Blah" because they’re so proud and they have no clue how wrong they are.

But I AM HUMAN and STILL MESS UP. And the saying is SO TRUE that pride comes before a fall. Even this past month I had to eat a big fat piece of humble pie and it shocked me right back to realizing that I am always, and WILL always be in need of a Savior. And that I can’t afford to hold on to any pride in my words, mind or heart.

So here’s the thing, it says in James 4: 11-12 >>>>

"Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?”

So heeeeyyooooo!! We are not meant to think of ourselves more highly than others or go around pulling out specks in people’s eyes, especially when we have a rotting plank in our own! haha! But as a Christ followers we are supposed to pursue holiness and encourage others to do the same in their journey.

As a Christ follower & leader (p.s. if you are Christian then you are automatically a leader ) we are meant to do this >>>

1 Timothy 2:11

"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior."

Ariana translation: Go to God in prayer for everyone that’s on your heart. Be a source of encouragement to everyone around you. And live an upright life making sure that even the little toxins in your life are handed over to God immediately.

And this >>>

Matthew 28:19-20

"Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Ariana translation: Your purpose on earth is to show people the love of Christ, have as many people as you can come to know Him, and have them walk the journey with you, pursuing perfection, until you go home to be with the Father in heaven.

Let’s be people who are constantly renewing our minds in the Word of God, who are seeing Christ as the ultimate example of how to live life on earth, and who encourage NOT judge each other to do the same. Keep yourself humble and know that God always has your back.

Guys... humble pie actually tastes sweet, so eat up!!

Much love,

Ariana

I love you all, I hope you have an amazing day or evening. MAke sure you share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 78!