Discerning Good and Evil

You know, I understand that in certain situations, judgement is a necessary thing and I don't consider judgement in and of itself 'bad,' but I do think it can be overused.

In thinking on this further, I suppose it can be underused as well.

So, I suppose judgement is really a tool to be used properly. Determining the proper use of judgement...that would require discernment. Proper discernment would require time and training in the tool of judgement.

If your information is incomplete, then you cannot make a good judgment, because you don't have all the tools you need for your information...which is why certain things should only be judged by God...the state of someone's salvation for example. There is absolutely no way that any of us can be ASSURED that we have all the information that God has about someone's state of salvation. We don't read hearts and if you think you can, then I think you probably need to take a stronger, harder look at yourself and your pride because I believe ONLY God can read hearts. I suppose that God could give that ability to anyone He chooses, but I am going to reserve that belief until I see pretty darn good evidence that one of us have been given that gift (or would it be a curse???).

However, we can all look at someone's actions. I still won't necessarily know what caused those actions, but if the actions are actually causing harm to others, then it would be fair to identify the problem...biblically to that person first, then in front of witnesses, then take it to the spiritual leader (or if the spiritual leader is the problem, take it to the church council). You see, without doing it that way, since we don't know the heart of the person, we have no way of knowing what caused the person to act (or react) in such a way that ended up being sinful.

It is generally good to take a step back if we are jumping to judge someone's actions without going through the proper procedure and look at ourselves and what hurts we might be experiencing that might be coloring our own observations. Things that might make us assume something is happening that really isn't. Things that might be blinding us to the truth rather than revealing the truth to us. If we are being quick to take offense at an action, perhaps it is because we are blinded by our own weakness rather than depending on the strength of the Lord?

I know that especially if I get too unwilling to forgive someone, then I probably have some personal hurt that I am not willingly turning over to Christ and allow him to heal in me. I might redirect all my anger at whoever appears to be leading me in a direction that am afraid to go in because going down that road appeared to lead me in the wrong direction in the past. The difference though might be that now that I have been down that road, and fallen into one of the pitfalls along the way, now I am more careful and discerning of the path that I am on. Instead of blindly skipping down the path, I am walking with my eyes open, not just looking for the good, not just looking for the bad, but being aware that I can accept the good while at the same time, acknowledging the bad is there so that I might avoid it.

THAT is discernment. It isn't just generically throwing everything into a 'bad' pot when you find one thing wrong with it and it isn't generically throwing everything into a good pot and assuming all is perfect when you find something good in it.

It is knowing that we should embrace the good AND reject the bad.

1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (King James Version)

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.

Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof.

If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Philippians 1:9-11

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Amen.

Finding Your Mate and Dating

Although my husband and I didn't start out putting God first in our marriage, we both had a deep and abiding faith in God, we simply came at it from different directions and our relationship with God most CERTAINLY was NOT put first in the beginning of our relationship.When we finally did start putting God first in our relationship, we found that our boundaries changed. We were far more accepting of one another's mistakes and far more forgiving...at the same time, we learned to recognize that when we put God first, we are sinning first and foremost against HIM, even before we are sinning against one another.

By putting our relationship with God ahead of even our relationship with one another, we are far closer and more loving than we ever were before.We are even now teaching our children that dating leads to marriage, and no matter what our culture promotes, God has already picked out their mates. Friendships are necessary, boyfriends and girlfriends are not.

I pray for my children and their spouses, because God knows who those spouses are, even if we don't. I pray that my children, and their spouses, grow in deep, loving, abiding faith in the Lord and that they grow in love and kindness toward one another. I pray that if they must learn through pain, that it is pain that can be healed quickly and they learn their lessons earlier rather than later.

God has a plan for each one of us. He is preparing each of us for one another for the perfect time, His time.

God bless.