January 14, 2010
003 Tex’s Thought Provokers
You Be The Judge!
If we really think about it, one of mans greatest struggles down through the ages has been the fight between good and evil, right and wrong. All my life, for as long as I can remember, I have heard don’t do that it is evil. Don’t do this it is evil. By all means do this for it is good. From the time when we are small children, first learning about life, when everything is fresh and new, seeing things for the first time, we are learning right from wrong.
When wars are fought, it is always about who is right and who is wrong, fought by the righteous against the immoral. In nearly every case each side claims that it is the righteous side. So how do we know for sure that one side above the other is righteous and the other wrong? We make up our minds I guess based on what the actions are of one side or the other.
Have you ever been wrong in your determination? I know that I have many times. In the cases where I have been wrong, it is when I go by what I have heard from someone rather than what I have seen first hand. Or, it is when something has been hidden for a time, and then comes to light. At any rate, it has nearly every time gotten me in trouble, or at the very least, made me embarrassed.
The bible says do not judge. If we do, we will be judged the same way that we judge. Don’t we all judge? If we are really honest, I think we all make judgments every day. Decisions I think, made based on the best information is a bit different than judging. Yet, every day we also make judgment calls in our minds. So where does it become the harmful type of judgment? I think it is when we point the finger at someone and in our mind we say that person is wrong. Sometimes we don’t even keep it to ourselves, we come right out and say to another person, I think what you are doing is wrong.
Now then, this is a very fine line, because there are some things that are blatantly wrong. Like breaking a law for example. When we break a law we are just wrong. If we do not agree with a law, we should work to change it, we should not break it.
That being said, is there any of us, that does not break some sort of law every day? Did you completely stop at the stop sign? Did you always obey the speed limit? Did you follow too close to a slower vehicle? Did you pass on a solid line? Did you wear your helmet on your four wheeler ride? Did you catch seven trout instead of five? On and on it goes. Yes I think we all break laws all the time.
I know, these seem like small trivial laws, laws that do not make much difference. The courts call them Misdeeds.
So to justify things in your mind, do you say well…going over the speed limit is not really all that big of a deal. After all, everyone does it right? Then it becomes your standard rather than what the courts say. Where is that you draw the line? This I think is key; where each of us draws the line is what determines how good or how bad we really are.
You might well go over the speed limit, but you would never ever steal anything. You might commit several small misdeeds that really don’t hurt anyone….but you have never ever claimed anything false on your taxes….or taken cash for something with no record… and you don’t have to claim it as income. Oh, I know, that is like …your money, after all the government has swindled it out of you over the years….sure why not…I mean everyone else does it right?
Standards, which we all set for ourselves, to heck with what the courts say, after all…I deserve it right? So then it is really not wrong….right? Yes, in your mind it is not wrong. In the courts mind if you get caught, well…they view it a little more ridged than you do.
So then, it comes back to who is right and who is wrong. One thing I have learned is that if you find yourself getting away with breaking the little unimportant laws, you will find it much easier to break a more serious law. I am not saying everyone, but we all know this is true.
Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. Whoever is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in big things too. Luke 16:10
Now folks, I am not trying to say any of you are public enemy number one. So don’t think for a minute that I am accusing anyone. I am just rambling like normal.
Let’s look at this from another perspective.
22 You should keep your beliefs about these things a secret between yourself and God. It is a blessing to be able to do what you think is right without feeling guilty. Romans 14:22
It is time for self evaluation, this includes me.
Have you ever thought to yourself, when you see a person, oh let’s say… dressed in a certain fashion, or smoking a cigarette, or hanging out with what we call a bad crowd, or coming out of the convenience store with a six pack of beer, or an over weight person eating a lot, or any number of things, that person is just bad and what they are doing is wrong, I would never dress like that. Have you inside your mind felt like this? I know I have, and again I am a work in progress, and I am continually trying to improve.
We all judge, and we all have standards of what is right and what is wrong.
Judging people is a part of life that is a bit ugly if you ask me. I wish we never had this trait. Some judge more than others. But we all do it, even though the bible says we should not judge, for if we do we will be judged.
Not very long ago I was feeling frustrated and I asked a question of a couple of friends and I know I was judging the minute I asked the question. I felt bad about this, so I asked the Lord to forgive me. But I know the minute I asked it, I felt that I was judged. Not by the Lord, but by my friends. I don’t know if I was or not, but that is how I felt. This was guilt, plain and simple. Paul goes on in Romans to say a lot about what feeling guilty tells us. I love to read Romans, and yes, Paul’s letters are one of my favorite things to read.
We are told that if we feel guilty about something, then in all likelihood it is wrong and we should evaluate ourselves, and then try to make it right.
Now then, judging another leads to feeling better than another. And when you feel better than another, you judge even more. Your standard of right and wrong goes to another level. Then you start judging people on more serious things, in your mind, and then you get to feeling even better about yourself than ever before. This leads to becoming holier than thou. And then you’re just about better than everyone. Oh yes you have a few friends, but you are even just a bit better than them. All of a sudden, you can do no wrong at all. You get to a point where if anyone dares to confront you or challenges you in any way, even if you only perceive this in your mind, you become very defensive and sometimes even evil acting.
This is yet some more handiwork of Old Greasy Face. He sneaks these feelings into a good person’s life. So subtle and so cleverly that the person does not even realize that they are acting the way they are.
The person may have been living for the Lord for a very long time. And in their mind there is no possible way that they could be doing anything that would be anything less than Christian.
Then there are the folks that are just plain evil right from the get go. They let on like they are good, and they have very evil hearts. They have a hidden agenda.
So how can we tell if a person is good or bad? Who do we trust? We have to live life and do the best we can. We can’t go through it being suspicious of everyone.
I say it is up to us to try and treat everyone the same as best as we can. That is what the Lord meant by giving us the second greatest law. Love others as you would have others love you. But we will get hurt. Yes we will, many times. Yet I think it is up to the Lord to be the judge of others. Sometimes, this is very hard to do. However, I think we should try our best to do as the Lord tells us.
Can we ever really know another person? Can we ever really know for sure if a person is good or bad?
15 “Be careful of false prophets.* They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. 16 You will know these people because of what they do. Good things don’t come from people who are bad, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes, and figs don’t come from thorny weeds. 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 You will know these false people by what they do. 21“Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter God’s kingdom.* The only people who will enter are those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On that last Day* many will call me Lord. They will say, ‘Lord, Lord, by the power of your name we spoke for God. And by your name we forced out demons* and did many miracles.*’ 23 Then I will tell those people clearly, ‘Get away from me, you people who do wrong. I never knew you.’ Matthew 7:15-23
You see the answer is in the bible, just as all of life’s questions are.
It is a very confounding thing, this holier than thou thing. How can we tell the person without confrontation? How can we help this person if the person refuses to believe they are wrong? How can we reason with the unreasonable? It says that many will call me Lord on that day but I he will refuse them. The bible says the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
30 Many people who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future. Matthew 19:30
So again, how do we help a person that is blind to what he or she really is?
I think we need to pray for that person a lot. I think that we need to show that person love. And I can tell you that this will not be easy, yet I think we must try our best.
Another tool that Old Crusty Drawers takes advantage of is the fact that we have so much. When is it that a person really accepts the Lords help? When they are really broken. We all have our everyday problems. But when a person is really broken, when they have lost all hope, that is when the Lord really comes alive and his light can be seen by all who choose to look. Perhaps this sounds like I am being mean spirited or even hateful, I certainly don’t mean to convey that, but I think we need to pray for brokenness for those among us everywhere that are holier than thou. Then when the Lord takes over the person can be saved.
And so again, we need to really concentrate on ourselves, me included. We must self evaluate to ensure we are not becoming too judgmental, because it can lead to bad things.
One way we can do this is to have a very close friend tell us when we are slipping. A person we can trust. A person we call a friend. We should make an agreement with this friend that I will look after you and you look after me. Together we will monitor our standards that we develop. These folks are rare in a person’s life. I am speaking of a person you would trust your life too. And I am talking about people, really other than your immediate family. Yet, sometimes it might be a family member. At any rate, if in our short lifetime here on earth we can but find one person that you can do this with, you are fortunate. And you should cherish that person always.
I’m talking about a person you would not hesitate to give up your life for.
I was very fortunate; it was about this time last year. I found just such a person. Now my wife is by far and away my best friend. I trust her and love her completely. What I am saying, is a person you call a dear friend that you are not related too. Because my father means big bunches to me too. So do my offspring.
No, these are people that you develop a relationship with outside the ones you live with.
Again, I must stress that these types of relationships are rare and if you are blessed with one, work to keep it alive. Never take it for granted.
I have said a lot about the holier than thou.
But what about a person that shows in everything they do and say that they are truly a good person. First that person never has to say it about themselves. They just plain show it. Are they prefect? Far from it. Even though we are told to be Christ like in all we do. To me there is only one person of perfection….Jesus!
To me trying to be Christ like is not about being perfect or thinking you are. It is about trying our best to stop and think before we say and do, “what would Jesus do?” I know it is an old saying, but it is true.
I have known a lot of folks in my time. I have known both good and bad. It is my great pleasure to say that this person I am fortunate enough to have had come into my life, like I said about this time last year, has a heart the likes of which I have never seen. Immediately, I felt the caring and love that this person had, not just for me, but for all of us at our church and beyond.
Like my Dad always said, there is a reason for everything. There was a reason that this person was brought into my life. The Lord directed that one in every way.
Like I said it is rare to find such a person. They are not common. Every waking minute this person is putting the Lord first, his family and others next and himself the very last. In all he says and does his heart comes out in him.
Garth, I love you brother. Thank you for you and your good heart.
45 Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. Luke 6:45
So you can tell whether a person is good or bad from what comes out of their mouth which comes from their hearts. Some can hide what is truly in their heart. But if they are bad, then at some point there will be bad come out of their mouth.
So until next time, may your hearts all be filled with the Lords goodness.
In the name of Christ….Tex
003 Tex’s Thought Provokers
You Be The Judge!
If we really think about it, one of mans greatest struggles down through the ages has been the fight between good and evil, right and wrong. All my life, for as long as I can remember, I have heard don’t do that it is evil. Don’t do this it is evil. By all means do this for it is good. From the time when we are small children, first learning about life, when everything is fresh and new, seeing things for the first time, we are learning right from wrong.
When wars are fought, it is always about who is right and who is wrong, fought by the righteous against the immoral. In nearly every case each side claims that it is the righteous side. So how do we know for sure that one side above the other is righteous and the other wrong? We make up our minds I guess based on what the actions are of one side or the other.
Have you ever been wrong in your determination? I know that I have many times. In the cases where I have been wrong, it is when I go by what I have heard from someone rather than what I have seen first hand. Or, it is when something has been hidden for a time, and then comes to light. At any rate, it has nearly every time gotten me in trouble, or at the very least, made me embarrassed.
The bible says do not judge. If we do, we will be judged the same way that we judge. Don’t we all judge? If we are really honest, I think we all make judgments every day. Decisions I think, made based on the best information is a bit different than judging. Yet, every day we also make judgment calls in our minds. So where does it become the harmful type of judgment? I think it is when we point the finger at someone and in our mind we say that person is wrong. Sometimes we don’t even keep it to ourselves, we come right out and say to another person, I think what you are doing is wrong.
Now then, this is a very fine line, because there are some things that are blatantly wrong. Like breaking a law for example. When we break a law we are just wrong. If we do not agree with a law, we should work to change it, we should not break it.
That being said, is there any of us, that does not break some sort of law every day? Did you completely stop at the stop sign? Did you always obey the speed limit? Did you follow too close to a slower vehicle? Did you pass on a solid line? Did you wear your helmet on your four wheeler ride? Did you catch seven trout instead of five? On and on it goes. Yes I think we all break laws all the time.
I know, these seem like small trivial laws, laws that do not make much difference. The courts call them Misdeeds.
So to justify things in your mind, do you say well…going over the speed limit is not really all that big of a deal. After all, everyone does it right? Then it becomes your standard rather than what the courts say. Where is that you draw the line? This I think is key; where each of us draws the line is what determines how good or how bad we really are.
You might well go over the speed limit, but you would never ever steal anything. You might commit several small misdeeds that really don’t hurt anyone….but you have never ever claimed anything false on your taxes….or taken cash for something with no record… and you don’t have to claim it as income. Oh, I know, that is like …your money, after all the government has swindled it out of you over the years….sure why not…I mean everyone else does it right?
Standards, which we all set for ourselves, to heck with what the courts say, after all…I deserve it right? So then it is really not wrong….right? Yes, in your mind it is not wrong. In the courts mind if you get caught, well…they view it a little more ridged than you do.
So then, it comes back to who is right and who is wrong. One thing I have learned is that if you find yourself getting away with breaking the little unimportant laws, you will find it much easier to break a more serious law. I am not saying everyone, but we all know this is true.
Whoever can be trusted with small things can also be trusted with big things. Whoever is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in big things too. Luke 16:10
Now folks, I am not trying to say any of you are public enemy number one. So don’t think for a minute that I am accusing anyone. I am just rambling like normal.
Let’s look at this from another perspective.
22 You should keep your beliefs about these things a secret between yourself and God. It is a blessing to be able to do what you think is right without feeling guilty. Romans 14:22
It is time for self evaluation, this includes me.
Have you ever thought to yourself, when you see a person, oh let’s say… dressed in a certain fashion, or smoking a cigarette, or hanging out with what we call a bad crowd, or coming out of the convenience store with a six pack of beer, or an over weight person eating a lot, or any number of things, that person is just bad and what they are doing is wrong, I would never dress like that. Have you inside your mind felt like this? I know I have, and again I am a work in progress, and I am continually trying to improve.
We all judge, and we all have standards of what is right and what is wrong.
Judging people is a part of life that is a bit ugly if you ask me. I wish we never had this trait. Some judge more than others. But we all do it, even though the bible says we should not judge, for if we do we will be judged.
Not very long ago I was feeling frustrated and I asked a question of a couple of friends and I know I was judging the minute I asked the question. I felt bad about this, so I asked the Lord to forgive me. But I know the minute I asked it, I felt that I was judged. Not by the Lord, but by my friends. I don’t know if I was or not, but that is how I felt. This was guilt, plain and simple. Paul goes on in Romans to say a lot about what feeling guilty tells us. I love to read Romans, and yes, Paul’s letters are one of my favorite things to read.
We are told that if we feel guilty about something, then in all likelihood it is wrong and we should evaluate ourselves, and then try to make it right.
Now then, judging another leads to feeling better than another. And when you feel better than another, you judge even more. Your standard of right and wrong goes to another level. Then you start judging people on more serious things, in your mind, and then you get to feeling even better about yourself than ever before. This leads to becoming holier than thou. And then you’re just about better than everyone. Oh yes you have a few friends, but you are even just a bit better than them. All of a sudden, you can do no wrong at all. You get to a point where if anyone dares to confront you or challenges you in any way, even if you only perceive this in your mind, you become very defensive and sometimes even evil acting.
This is yet some more handiwork of Old Greasy Face. He sneaks these feelings into a good person’s life. So subtle and so cleverly that the person does not even realize that they are acting the way they are.
The person may have been living for the Lord for a very long time. And in their mind there is no possible way that they could be doing anything that would be anything less than Christian.
Then there are the folks that are just plain evil right from the get go. They let on like they are good, and they have very evil hearts. They have a hidden agenda.
So how can we tell if a person is good or bad? Who do we trust? We have to live life and do the best we can. We can’t go through it being suspicious of everyone.
I say it is up to us to try and treat everyone the same as best as we can. That is what the Lord meant by giving us the second greatest law. Love others as you would have others love you. But we will get hurt. Yes we will, many times. Yet I think it is up to the Lord to be the judge of others. Sometimes, this is very hard to do. However, I think we should try our best to do as the Lord tells us.
Can we ever really know another person? Can we ever really know for sure if a person is good or bad?
15 “Be careful of false prophets.* They come to you and look gentle like sheep. But they are really dangerous like wolves. 16 You will know these people because of what they do. Good things don’t come from people who are bad, just as grapes don’t come from thornbushes, and figs don’t come from thorny weeds. 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 You will know these false people by what they do. 21“Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter God’s kingdom.* The only people who will enter are those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On that last Day* many will call me Lord. They will say, ‘Lord, Lord, by the power of your name we spoke for God. And by your name we forced out demons* and did many miracles.*’ 23 Then I will tell those people clearly, ‘Get away from me, you people who do wrong. I never knew you.’ Matthew 7:15-23
You see the answer is in the bible, just as all of life’s questions are.
It is a very confounding thing, this holier than thou thing. How can we tell the person without confrontation? How can we help this person if the person refuses to believe they are wrong? How can we reason with the unreasonable? It says that many will call me Lord on that day but I he will refuse them. The bible says the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
30 Many people who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future. Matthew 19:30
So again, how do we help a person that is blind to what he or she really is?
I think we need to pray for that person a lot. I think that we need to show that person love. And I can tell you that this will not be easy, yet I think we must try our best.
Another tool that Old Crusty Drawers takes advantage of is the fact that we have so much. When is it that a person really accepts the Lords help? When they are really broken. We all have our everyday problems. But when a person is really broken, when they have lost all hope, that is when the Lord really comes alive and his light can be seen by all who choose to look. Perhaps this sounds like I am being mean spirited or even hateful, I certainly don’t mean to convey that, but I think we need to pray for brokenness for those among us everywhere that are holier than thou. Then when the Lord takes over the person can be saved.
And so again, we need to really concentrate on ourselves, me included. We must self evaluate to ensure we are not becoming too judgmental, because it can lead to bad things.
One way we can do this is to have a very close friend tell us when we are slipping. A person we can trust. A person we call a friend. We should make an agreement with this friend that I will look after you and you look after me. Together we will monitor our standards that we develop. These folks are rare in a person’s life. I am speaking of a person you would trust your life too. And I am talking about people, really other than your immediate family. Yet, sometimes it might be a family member. At any rate, if in our short lifetime here on earth we can but find one person that you can do this with, you are fortunate. And you should cherish that person always.
I’m talking about a person you would not hesitate to give up your life for.
I was very fortunate; it was about this time last year. I found just such a person. Now my wife is by far and away my best friend. I trust her and love her completely. What I am saying, is a person you call a dear friend that you are not related too. Because my father means big bunches to me too. So do my offspring.
No, these are people that you develop a relationship with outside the ones you live with.
Again, I must stress that these types of relationships are rare and if you are blessed with one, work to keep it alive. Never take it for granted.
I have said a lot about the holier than thou.
But what about a person that shows in everything they do and say that they are truly a good person. First that person never has to say it about themselves. They just plain show it. Are they prefect? Far from it. Even though we are told to be Christ like in all we do. To me there is only one person of perfection….Jesus!
To me trying to be Christ like is not about being perfect or thinking you are. It is about trying our best to stop and think before we say and do, “what would Jesus do?” I know it is an old saying, but it is true.
I have known a lot of folks in my time. I have known both good and bad. It is my great pleasure to say that this person I am fortunate enough to have had come into my life, like I said about this time last year, has a heart the likes of which I have never seen. Immediately, I felt the caring and love that this person had, not just for me, but for all of us at our church and beyond.
Like my Dad always said, there is a reason for everything. There was a reason that this person was brought into my life. The Lord directed that one in every way.
Like I said it is rare to find such a person. They are not common. Every waking minute this person is putting the Lord first, his family and others next and himself the very last. In all he says and does his heart comes out in him.
Garth, I love you brother. Thank you for you and your good heart.
45 Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts. Luke 6:45
So you can tell whether a person is good or bad from what comes out of their mouth which comes from their hearts. Some can hide what is truly in their heart. But if they are bad, then at some point there will be bad come out of their mouth.
So until next time, may your hearts all be filled with the Lords goodness.
In the name of Christ….Tex
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