1 Timothy 2-4

(August 12, 2013)
There is a natural tendency, when we push ourselves towards Christ, to likewise become overly orthodox in our behaviors and opinions towards others.  My guess as to the reason for that would be that Satan, recognizing our desire to move towards God in our actions, attempts to push the pendulum too far and drive us towards judgmentalism as another way to snare our souls.  But whether it be temptation or a derived remnant of our animal natures, that judgmentalism exists.

Clearly the Lord does not share this trait.  As Paul says here, every creature is good and nothing is to be refused if we receive it with thanksgiving.  This applies, in my mind, not merely to food but also to entertainment.  Some enjoy walks, some enjoy sitting.  Some are dog people, and some are cat people.  Some read books, and some watch television.  How could we be so foolish as to judge others based on such limited evidences into their characters?

The escape from such things are three-fold.  First, for ourselves, we must be cognizant of the Spirit for direction in our lives.  If it tells us that this entertainment is not good, or that media should be avoided, or that food shouldn't be eaten, or anything of the sort – listen.  Obey.  Second, we must acknowledge that we are receiving that instruction solely for ourselves and for no other men.  Can I judge whether the book someone else is reading is permitted by the Lord for them?  There is hardly a book that doesn't contain something that would give cause to build a bonfire, but we don’t burn all of the books because we recognize that they can provide value that might exceed the elements that are not in harmony with the Lord’s word.  And that value judgment might change from person to person – I can recall being prompted to put down a political science book once because of the emotional response that it was generating.  It didn’t mean that the book was bad for everyone – just for me.  So the judgments we make for media apply only to ourselves.  The third, and final, step is to constantly remain grateful to the Lord for extending His Atonement so far as to cover us and recognizing that an Atonement infinite enough to cover the sins we see around us just might be infinite enough to cover our sins as well.  This understanding of our dependence on God for undeserved salvation will stop us from judging those around us because it will constantly remind us that justice is a frightening concept for us all.

With those three things before us, we can turn our lives over to God and pursue Him with zeal without becoming judgmental towards our brothers and sisters at the same time.