Stop Evaluating others

2 Corinthians 5:16 so we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!

  I was listening to a sermon yesterday morning driving to men’s group when I heard this scripture quoted and it just stopped me in my tracks.  Especially on the heels of what I wrote Saturday.  I have to admit that loving someone the way God sees them for me is not always an easy thing to do.  Case in point, at our sonic we have a gay waiter and I know he is gay, because he flaunts it.  I have not been very nice to him and have been called out by my wife several times.  Over the last three months of Listening to Todd White and understanding what it means to love people regardless of their life style has not been the easiest road travelled.  Loving them in spite of their religion sometimes harder.   I had some missed opportunities with some Jehovah witness’s as well.  I have actually heard ”you don’t see them the way I do”

Yesterday as I am driving I get this vision of the gay guy from my sonic walking out with a sign around his neck that says I am a liar and thief and that is my lifestyle that I choose.  I knew in my heart that I would treat him differently than if the sign said I am a homosexual and that is the lifestyle I choose.   Needless to say I did not feel very good about myself knowing that I would walk in judgment like that.  This is become a very big eye opener for me.  since the last time I was called out I have been back to the sonic and treated him  with the utmost respect and looked at him the way God sees him on the outside.  (my heart is still not right though)

His kindness leads us to repentance and sometimes that kindness is through us to another person.

Romans 2:4  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Make Allowances

Ephesians 4:2 always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

So what exactly does that look like?   Does that mean if I get an lgbt waiter that I treat him the same as if I got a straight waiter?   What about a customer?   If I go to someone’s house to do kitchen remodel and when I get there I find out that they are gay.   I know what I would do; I would show them the love of Jesus and work for them.    Just maybe ….. Them seeing me as a follower of Jesus might be the one thing that causes them to question what they are doing.  I don’t have to say anything, just be Jesus with skin on.   I had the question asked me the other day.  What if I was approached to build an abortion clinic?   As I have thought about that question over and over I have come to the conclusion that someone is going to build it.  So for me I pray about it and if He says build it then I build it.  Is abortion against my beliefs …? Yes.  I look at it as an opportunity to pray over it every day during the construction.  Write scriptures on the studs and take opportunities to minister to the leaders.  Who knows what will happen.  Just because it gets built does not mean it will open. 

Someone told me the other day that Jesus did not minister to prostitutes.  He said Jesus looked at them as children of God that had lost their way.   What a concept.   I was once that person.  A child of God that had lost his way.  I did drugs, slept around, viewed pornography, cussed, overate, alcoholic, drug addict need I say more.  I had someone love me to Jesus in spite of me.

So you have a choice today.  Are you going to make an allowance for someone’s fault or you going to be religious?

Mark 12:29-31New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁹ Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’^{[a] 31} The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] No other commandment is greater than these.”