A kick in the face!

This morning I was reading 1 Timothy chapter 5 for my devotions, and I came across a verse that just really got me going. Verses 20 and 21 in chapter 6 say, "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favortism." Paul goes on to tell Timothy in verse 24 that "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them." As I read this, I literally felt myself bloating up with selfrighteousness. I was reminded of how car buffs always describe hot rods as being able to go from 0 to 60 in 1.2 seconds; well I went from a state of supposed humility to a lofty selfrighteousness in no time flat! I began to think of all the people that I knew that were engaging in outright sins, and what this verse was telling me to do about it. In my mind I was running with the idea of bringing out all these sins on Sunday morning, just stoping short of telling the names of those invovled so that they could squirm in their filth. I know it sounds harsh but afterall isn't that what this verse was telling me to do??

After I finished the chapter I also read today's devotion in the book My Utmost For His Highest and in this mindset of judge, jurry, and executioner I read these words; "Be careful that you don't become a hypocrite by spending all your time trying to get others right with God before you worship Him yourself." The devotional went on to talk about how we are to lift our brothers and sisters up before God in prayer, being awakened to the mind of Christ concerning them. But what does it mean to have the mind of Christ toward those who are in sin? It means that we see them with His eyes, that we reach out to them with His arms, and that we love them with His heart.

It amazes me how much easier it is for us to point out the flaws of those we are looking down on, those who struggle with sins that we don't, or those who have not yet overcome what we have; instead of seeking the mind of God on their behalf. Perhaps before we become so quick to judge our brothers and sisters, before we decide to heap more guilt upon their already sagging shoulders, we should instead strive to lift up their burdens before God and in doing so serve to help lighten their load.