A whole new world!

A whole new world!

Everyday, many times a day, sadly, we pass judgment on one another. We have all committed sinful acts that live in our “private” consciences. At other times in our lives and for others who are less mindful we may have never, or with regularity, examined our consciences. Therefore we lack or blatantly ignore our private “set of laws”, hence, our morals and values. Therefore, we may have convinced ourselves of our own righteousness and carry no guilt or, even worse, fear of God. However, there is a knot that twists in the pit of our stomach or an ache in our heart that wakes us and jolts us to a reality that we may or may not face. It is our God given conscience that reminds us of “right and wrong”. If we claim to be faithful people then we must live under God’s rules of love. God simply asks us to live in love and it is before Him that we will stand to be judged ourselves. If we judge then we shall be judged. Judgment does not equal unconditional love, kindness, support and forgiveness. You love God whom you have never seen. Therefore, just as God does, you must love your brothers and sisters whom you do see and who are children of that same God. Therefore, it is fitting to ask for what reason do we finger point and reveal other’s sinful acts before others when we, in fact, have our own sins grave or small to account for? To make ourselves feel better? To be the first to gossip and have credit for “the scoop of the day?” For retaliation or to see our brother or sister suffer and be publicly humiliated? Whatever the reason, none is good enough to justify passing judgment and passing it on by gossiping to hurt someone. There should be no “but” in our thought process with respect to love and forgiveness. “But you don’t understand, he . . .” We may know very well the people who have been affected, afflicted or hurt by another’s ordeal. Granted, there may be a time we may need to help another and get involved. What we need to become conscious of is for lack of a better phrase and forgive the harshness of the comment, “don’t put our noses in where they don’t belong.” Our family, friends and neighbors’ faults should not be the subject of conversations or the details of which should not be hashed over a meal, the water cooler or the news. If you have a personal grievance against another it must be addressed with them personally in an effort to resolve ”with love” unsettled matters. If we have chosen to turn our thoughts away from dealing directly with this grievance, perhaps there is a reason far beyond our understanding for having tucking it away in the recesses of our minds for days, months and even years. Past that personal encounter whether it resulted in resolve or un-acceptance of fault, we are called to pray for, forgive others, and still love. It is not ours place to spread gossip and cause undue additional harm to another. That person too has a conscience. We will never know what another feels, how they suffer in heart or body, how they would wash their hands of evil deeds, or how deep with regret one might live. It is not for us to crucify, torture and make one’s life miserable sometimes to the point of death of a spirit or literally of a life. Only God knows our sins, our hearts, and it is before Him that we all will answer.

Grave sin reveals itself like a blast of dynamite, while more menial sins may be camouflaged by our minds that have been desensitized to our evil ways and come across as ordinary acceptable ways of being. Because people are so detached from the church and their faith practices we lack an immediate and conscious responsibility for our everyday and extraordinary actions. We could easily be forgiven by God for a heinous crime by a truly repentful heart, and perhaps not be for less significant sins that we knowingly push to the side making less of them in our own minds, comparing ourselves to another.

So that we might become” awakened and improved followers” of Christ who gave us the example of perfection and the ways of God, let us examine our consciences as they may fall under the Ten Commandments that have been given to us as our foundation of God’s love.

We might pose questions to ourselves that resemble these:

Have I gone to church or prayed to God halfheartedly or unwillingly or perhaps simply stopped praying altogether? Did I use God’s name in vein (OMG), curse, poke fun of God, Jesus or any other saint or tell a lie under oath (“I swear” on the bible, my mother’s grave . . .)? Did I not go to Church on Sunday, work to an excess so as to inhibit the worship due to God? Have I been a bad example, showed a lack of respect to others, failed in my responsibilities to myself, spouse, children, friends or ill or lonely family members? Was I envious of others, angered easily, neglect my health, get drunk and get carried away by glutton? Did I rape, molest, murder, or desire revenge against someone who offended me, tease, quarrel, or cause harm by my actions or words? Did I have impure thoughts, conversations that solicited promiscuity, look at indecent pictures, and did I lead others to circumstances that could lead to sin? Did I have sex out of marriage or engage in heavy petting and necking while dating? Did I steal from work, family or friends? Did I neglect to pay my bills, harm anyone by deception to get my way, or am I materialistic? Did I tell lies (white or any other color)? Did I reveal a secret with undue cause? Did I willfully and with malice fail to protect another?

“Do not forsake the work of God,” said St. Paul in his letter to the Romans and thus the message to us is the same. We should not take Godly matters into our own hands. Therefore, upon an examination of our now conscious behavior we can “clean house” so to speak so we can set in place more firmly the strong foundation necessary to be not just “good,” but “great,” ambassadors of Christ.

We, God’s capable and equipped people, let us now, today, let go of our burdens, secrets, worries and cast our cares to the One who will take them. Praise God and be thankful and happy for the answers He provides to life’s ups and downs that we will see when we know better the love of God. Be part of what will bring harmony to our world. Forgive and be merciful and you will come to know God better. Jesus Christ, the Son of God was sent here to deliver an incredible message. We will meet His Father someday. You will be ready, because you live with the love of God in your heart!

Explore and get to know the depth of your love for God. In so doing, you will look upon the people of the world with different eyes. You are an influential person. In your daily life, you are surrounded by many people that you can influence. By your heightened awareness “put into practice” your spiritual actions and you will encourage and motivate others to follow not in your footsteps, but in those of the One who was sent herewith righteousness and glory. For God sent His Only Son to save the world! You are part of that world! A whole new world!



Inspired by Romans 14:1-23

Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. One person believes that one may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on someone else's servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. For one person considers one day more important than another, while another person considers all days alike. Let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind. Whoever observes the day, observes it for the Lord. Also whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while whoever abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God. None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;

for it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."
So (then) each of us shall give an account of himself (to God).

Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean. If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be reviled. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit; whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others. Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating; it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. Keep the faith (that) you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.