Sticks & Stones

Photo by: Luigi Diamanté

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A BROTHER OFFENDED IS HARDER TO BE WON THAN A STRONG CITY, AND CONTENTIONS ARE LIKE THE BARS OF A CITADEL.

Proverbs 18:19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

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People learn, change and grow with care. It’s the basis of every living beings growth and development. God’s care, shown in His immense love, nurtures us into our fullest potential. Therefore our lives should emanate this same love towards one another.

CONDEMNING AND CRITICIZING OTHERS DOESN’T HELP ANYONE

1. The criticizer becomes subject to their own critiques, finding themselves in the same situation or extended the same treatment in some way.
2. The criticized is left feeling defeated or the opposite very guarded, either way it makes them hard to be reached.

Condemning others creates distrust and this distrust builds walls, these walls unfortunately take time to destroy. Think about it…how well do you receive information from someone you don’t trust…

God hasn’t authorized any of us to condemn. He actually instructs us not to in Luke 6:37. Condem in the text means to pronounce guilty and ALL of us are guilty of something (Romans 3:23). Yet NONE holds the authority to pronounce guilt on the other because our past stains are “different.”

No man will escape judgement.  It will visit each of us individually, but the judgement will not come from man, it comes from God. The Spirit of the Living God will make known all sin, righteousness and judgement (John 16:8). God is full of mercy, He corrects us as any parent would and is happy to withhold His judgement when we express true sorrow! So let us love as we have been commanded to love and pray that all, including ourselves, accept the correction of the Spirit.

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THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.

John 15:13 English Standard Version (ESV)

 Photo Credit: Yoann Jezequel via Flickr

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SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

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Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law. So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

James 2:8-13 New Living Translation (NLT)

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PRAYER

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Father, let us speak everything in Love and allow You to perfect us. Let everything we say edify, exhort and comfort others, not for our personal benefit either but to truly build the other up. Please reveal and remove any selfish agendas from our hearts. Let us remember that Your grace, Your mercy is what makes us free and the measure of mercy we extend to others is what You will extend to us!

In Jesus Name, Amen!

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