Quote:
Originally Posted by RevBuddy
Felicity...
your words are very good...but please don't miss the point...spectators can comment on a baseball game EVEN IF they have never played baseball...political commentators can make judgments about the actions or behavior of politicians EVEN IF they have never run for office...
so, it is with us...yes, I am an imperfect individual with an imperfect ministry...I did not always pastor my church the way I should...but realizing my imperfection, it is still possible for me to comment on the behavior of these men WITHOUT impuning them personally...
the old adage has some applicability here...for us all
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." And I still say,
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I get the point. LOL.
I still think care needs to be taken.
if we're not careful we become guilty of doing the same things we judge others of doing and our attitudes and spirits get bent out of shape. Jesus' attitude and His instruction to His disciples was to "let them be".
The fact is that it hurts to see division take place. Sometimes it's a necessary hurt though. Other times it's simply a result of people getting caught up in politics and "issues".
We can still be "one" in the most important purpose of all which is to reach the lost with the Gospel and see lives transformed and saved from hell.
Pray about it. Lift your eyes from what you can see from the "natural viewpoint". Try to look at everything from God's point of view. If you do, you'll see little justification for judgmentalism and accusation.
God puts up with all of us. He loves us and is patient and merciful with us all, and like I say He's most concerned with souls being saved.
We get caught up in issues of pride and competition, carnal reasoning, and it sucks the spirit and life right out of us and then we wonder why there's so much barren-ness and so much unspirituality in our OWN ranks.
Pray for your brothers -- even those who have chosen to walk a different path. Let them know you love them and that you wish them the best. God will bless you for that and it will reap a good harvest.
It doesn't matter what others do. We're responsible for ourselves and no matter how others act we have a responsibility to keep our own attitudes and spirits right and to react in a right spirit, with kindness, God's love, self control and temperance which are ..... after all ....... the fruit of the Spirit.
