If even only 10% of our input is centered around telling people the errors of their ways, in who they are, what they believe, and what they think, I would argue that we could improve our quality of life immediately by at least 10%, if only we'd stop all that nonsense.
There are two kinds of scriptures that ppl tend to read with bold letters. The ones that tell us to discern and judge “righteously", to admonish and correct one another. The second ones we cling to and quote are the passages that tell us not to Judge, to look through lenses of love and mercy. We are told to leave the tares with the wheat but also told to insist that the rebellious partakers leave our fellowship.
When I read the Holy Book, with a spirit of a sound mind, I don't find confusion... I find balance. For example, yes be quiet and mind our own business, but if someone is causing harm to the flock, sorry, but they have to go. Yes, test spirits, look, inspect fruit, even label it, but make sure we spend more time producing our own fruit, lest we become fruitless ourselves. Sure, we shouldn't kill but we should defend and protect to death, if we must.
The bible tells us what to strive for. He also gave us the ability and the holy spirit to rightly divide. On top of all those tools, He gave us natural laws and minds that tell us right from wrong.
Sure discernment is good, but I think it should be directed most towards our own actions, our own accountability. He doesn't tell us to do Justice by making sure others do right. No, He says to do Justice and then He follows that up with love mercy.
I agree, a good debate is good, and sometimes effectual, especially in a forum, and any other table of discussion. But when our hyper critical mindset finds habitual comfort in our hearts and in our thoughts, it is time for change. The altered state, though, should begin at home. We, ourselves, can only live justly by loving mercy. With that said, if someone comes at my children or someone I love, meek and humble tend to leave the building.
I guess what I'm going on about is balance, but even with that harmonious condition, we risk the stagnation that comes with dwelling in the state of equilibrium. Hmmm, in everything there is a season, a time and a place. So yes, discern and stand in our truth...sure, hold people, individually and collectively, up to His standard, especially when it comes to protecting each other. How can we improve upon what we don’t acknowledge? I get it. Remember, though, in doing so, we ourselves are called to tenderness, peacefulness, kindness, gentleness, humbleness and mercy… those things have to remain in the forefront of our focus or the things that should be mandated most is our hearts. The gate is narrow, we must be set apart in our thinking, but our hearts are called to be soft and open.
May we all seek and find His loving balance…
This lengthy ran’t itself is telling me it is time to shhhhhhh, to find balance in that, lol.
There are two kinds of scriptures that ppl tend to read with bold letters. The ones that tell us to discern and judge “righteously", to admonish and correct one another. The second ones we cling to and quote are the passages that tell us not to Judge, to look through lenses of love and mercy. We are told to leave the tares with the wheat but also told to insist that the rebellious partakers leave our fellowship.
When I read the Holy Book, with a spirit of a sound mind, I don't find confusion... I find balance. For example, yes be quiet and mind our own business, but if someone is causing harm to the flock, sorry, but they have to go. Yes, test spirits, look, inspect fruit, even label it, but make sure we spend more time producing our own fruit, lest we become fruitless ourselves. Sure, we shouldn't kill but we should defend and protect to death, if we must.
The bible tells us what to strive for. He also gave us the ability and the holy spirit to rightly divide. On top of all those tools, He gave us natural laws and minds that tell us right from wrong.
Sure discernment is good, but I think it should be directed most towards our own actions, our own accountability. He doesn't tell us to do Justice by making sure others do right. No, He says to do Justice and then He follows that up with love mercy.
I agree, a good debate is good, and sometimes effectual, especially in a forum, and any other table of discussion. But when our hyper critical mindset finds habitual comfort in our hearts and in our thoughts, it is time for change. The altered state, though, should begin at home. We, ourselves, can only live justly by loving mercy. With that said, if someone comes at my children or someone I love, meek and humble tend to leave the building.
I guess what I'm going on about is balance, but even with that harmonious condition, we risk the stagnation that comes with dwelling in the state of equilibrium. Hmmm, in everything there is a season, a time and a place. So yes, discern and stand in our truth...sure, hold people, individually and collectively, up to His standard, especially when it comes to protecting each other. How can we improve upon what we don’t acknowledge? I get it. Remember, though, in doing so, we ourselves are called to tenderness, peacefulness, kindness, gentleness, humbleness and mercy… those things have to remain in the forefront of our focus or the things that should be mandated most is our hearts. The gate is narrow, we must be set apart in our thinking, but our hearts are called to be soft and open.
May we all seek and find His loving balance…
This lengthy ran’t itself is telling me it is time to shhhhhhh, to find balance in that, lol.
