True and False Disciples: Matthew 7:21-23
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Jesus has a way with words as transcribed by the apostles. These words are profoundly important to contemplate:
This is a two-fold warning: 1) self-examination and 2) examining others.
Self-Examination. Does my heart match my words? It’s not good enough to say I love my neighbor as myself when I inwardly despise them. I do not want to live a life of hypocrisy, yet it’s rather easy to fall into the trap through the vehicle of complacency. The tension between doing more and doing enough must always be present, we must constantly examine whether or not our words match our deeds.
Examining Others. This is a slippery slope, but one we obviously must traverse. I don’t want to be labeled a skeptic, but I also don’t believe everything I read or hear, much less everyone who carries the title pastor, minister or some religious surname. It’s easy to slip into a self-righteous rant, something I’m keenly aware of even when I type these blog entries. If you’re reading my words, you have every right to question is my heart matches what I say here. Likewise, I must be careful to consider lessons taught by others.
We are all human and as such we are bound to say and do things that conflict with our beliefs. At dinner last night, someone recanted a story about a phone conversation where the person on the other end hung up the phone in disgust. We don’t know why since the anonymous person on the other end will never be identified, but we don’t know what was happening in that person’s world at the time. Did she come to work today after a funeral? Did she get a parking ticket? Did her daughter just call and say something that spun her world out of control? We don’t know, but if we are careful to listen to others, we might hear differently. If we hear differently, even Christ-like, we might learn how to navigate troubled spiritual waters and help lead someone to Christ.
Lord, help us to be real. Expose our weaknesses and teach us to be kind to others while listening for the unspoken words that reveal true character. May we be bold enough to call out those who have dressed themselves in clothes of Christ-followers, yet inwardly are only seeking glory for themselves. Bold and gentle. Kind and stern. Teach us Lord.