THIS WEEK CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOMS AS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!
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A few weeks ago I mentioned my lack of success in my baseball career, but also that I did well in softball. I vividly remember the last softball game I played. It was at a church picnic. Men, women, boys, and girls, were on each team. Pamela, and some other non-participants were sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of the Lodge we were using for the picnic. Each time I came to bat, I hit the ball well, ran to First Base and eventually scored. I was feeling good about my efforts.

In the car, on the way home, Pamela very sweetly and innocently asked: “WHY DIDN’T YOU RUN WHEN YOU HIT THE BALL?” When I finally stopped laughing, I told her: “I THOUGHT I WAS RUNNING”. I was always a slow runner. At the time of the picnic I was in my 60s and getting “chubby”. I was doing my best, running my fastest. However, to an onlooker it looked quite different. 

Pamela was not being critical. She was just asking a question out of curiosity. Each time I remember the conversation, I laugh. But the memory also reminds me of a spiritual principle I need to never forget. In Matthew 7 Jesus instructs us to be careful about developing a critical, judgmental spirit. We all know that it is so easy to become critical of our Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. We hear their words. We see their actions. We think they could be doing better. And, indeed, many are not living up to their potential as a Christian. Over the years, the Lord has taught me to be careful about jumping to conclusions and making assumptions because I may not know all the facts in a situation. Here are some people who might be unfairly judged:
   …The lady who can’t contribute financially. Her husband controls the purse and will not let her give
   …The Mother who falls asleep in the service. She was up all night caring for a sick child
   … The wife who seems fearful and distracted. Every day she goes home to physical, mental and verbal abuse
   …Likewise, the husband who comes home from work each day and is blasted with hurtful, hateful words
   …The children who “act up” in church because they are neglected, and /or abused at home. They have never been taught proper behavior
   …The person who is burdened with sorrow because they know their spouse is having an affair
   …Someone with medical troubles.. They are carrying a secret. Disease is devastating their body.

You get the picture. Remember the old, old, saying, “Don’t criticize someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes”. Would families, churches, and communities change if we followed Paul’s commands in Galatians 6:2 ? “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”. Also, Romans 15:1, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves”. As we encourage, help, love, and remember often in prayer, our Brothers and Sister in the Lord, we can be a blessing.

It is so humbling to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and to spend extra time praying for someone. You don’t even know why. You are just instructed to pray. Later, you encounter that person. You tell them of your prayers. They open their hearts and suddenly out spills their burdens and woes. At that moment you are so glad you prayed instead of criticized. Indeed it may look slow to you, but “THEY MAY BE RUNNING AS FAST AS THEY CAN AT THE MOMENT”.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

1. Sunday School is at 9:00 am
2. Morning Worship and Children’s Church is at 10:00 am. Also available in the parking lot at 10 on 99.1 FM and on the website after 12:30 pm
3. Prayer and Bible Study is Wednesday at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall

Jesus tell us that our love for Him leads to love for others