I often think about the
true story not long ago of the highway patrolman who always carried
a pocket tape recorder with him on the job. Just like any other
day he gave a traffic ticket to a woman and then she quietly
drove away. Little did the officer realize that this day would not
only be different from the rest, but that it would be a life
changing experience that would soon test his faith in God as
well as with many others.
The woman that received a ticket that day had filed
formal charges of being abused by this officer. The woman swore
he abused her out on the highway and was willing to go to court over
it. Fortunately the officer was able to play back the tape recorder
and it played a big role in helping clear the officer of
the shocking charges filed against him. The woman was seriously
admonished by the judge for falsely accusing the police
officer.
What if the police
officer did not have the tape recorder as evidence to clear his
name that day?
Where would his rock solid proof
of innocence be then? Surely his life would have taken a much
greater turn for the worse. Could his department risk such a scandal? The woman seemed so convincing. She did
swear he abused her out on the highway, and was willing to go to
court over it.
Would his
character be judged or his integrity questioned throughout his
career or lifetime? Would he have missed out on future promotions
that he so rightly deserved? Or would his social standing at his
church suffer?
And what
about those of us who pass out "our personal
brand of hypocrisy by judging everywhere we go,"
causing division and destruction among the Church and
this person's life?
Our
actions of judging other believers brings only God's judgement
on ourselves, and none of us are worthy to be judged by God. We
also end up separating ourselves from Almighty God and His
blessings. So why do we keep on
judging others, especially in their troubled
times.
Do we join in the
judging of others so that other people won't be so busy looking
at our own lives under a microscope? And if they do find
something, whether true or not, do we
ask them to show us the mercy and
forgiveness that we so easily deny others.
Then, because our hearts are
so hardened, how soon we forget to glorify God for this wonderful
person, for all the years of his hard work and integrity. And
how quickly our memories dismiss all of the countless good
deeds that he has done up to the tragic moment of this woman
falsely accusing him.
Soon our
conscience no longer reminds us that what
we're really doing is Satan's work for him. Do we honestly
believe that God's going to bless us for judging
others?
Let's just hope we don't
judge and discipline our own children and family members by
shaming them this way. Have we been so shamed and hurt so great
in our past that our only personal joy and gratification
now is to "kick a person when their
down?" While there at "the very lowest
moment's of their life?" Just when they needed us the most!
.
What
would have happened if the police officer did not have the tape
recorder that day and he was still exonerated in court? How
many of us would still have gossiped behind his back,
saying the court system failed the woman who said he abused
her?
Would we do what God expects of us? Would we truly
repent and ask for this persons forgiveness and become spiritually
stronger from
this?
When it is our time to leave this
world, what worthy "spiritual legacy" will we be
leaving behind for our loved ones and for others to follow?
Will it be teaching others on how to prosper by
glorifying God in everything that we say and do?
Will we have taught them that there
are no such thing as accidents or coincidences in our lives;
that each person that is going through the "fires of
adversity" in their life is being used and shaped for
God's greater design that are sometimes beyond our own
understanding.
Or do we become a obstacle to
God's Will and purpose by doing Satan's work for him. By playing
Satan's favorite game thats guranteed to to break up the unity
of other believers as well as God's heart. "The game of
shame!"
This heartless and cruel
"game" helps insure anyone who is going through their
own "fires of
adversity" were their already fragile
faith in God has now become even
more brittle.
Do we embrace them with our love and
support,
Or do we try to strip them even
further of their remaining spiritual strength and dignity
by purposely not sharing with them God's
spiritual truth and His promise that,
"I will never leave you or forsake
you." (Hebrews 13:5)
And just
in case this person had any hope left, do we try to present this
person with Satan's favorite dessert, "The
icing of hate" on his "cake of
destruction", all the while making sure we have
given this person extra portions by denying them our
support of unconditional love or the healing power
of being totally forgiven?
And when we finally made sure that
this person had no one or no place to turn to for support,
except maybe the fleeting comfort and cold embrace of one of
"Satan's very own care package's of alcohol and
drugs," that would literally guarantee
them the lasting benefits of "The
sorrow of divorce" and maybe even take more "Casualties
of innocent lives" along the way since by now
they should be driving while under the
influence.
Satan, with all his wisdom and the
father of all lies, will try to reason with us that if we
really wanted to help God out by making the world a better
place. That we can start by helping get rid of all the people
in the world that are trash; people who we judge as not as
good as the rest of us; and that God in His infinite
wisdom will understand and forgive us.
Just think back for a moment
if the highway patrolman never carried a tape recorder with him.
What a field day we could have had with him. How easy it would have
been to justify in our minds that he's not as good as the rest
of us.
We could have been completely convincing
to the highway patrolman that he had brought such
great shame and scandal to anyone wearing a uniform, to his
family and friends, and let's not forget the community.
The things that we might
have said to him; that God does not love a sinner like
him and that God is punishing him because he is unworthy to be
forgiven and unfit to even live; nobody will ever
miss trash like him.
Would he do the "dignified"
thing like the millions of others who have come before
him, and choose to end his useless and miserable life by seeking
the eternal comfort of Satan's all time favorite "Death by
shame?"
No one really
knows the exact moment and time when our death will bring us face to
face before God on judgment day.
What will our
contribution be worth to God as He judge's us on
that fateful day?
Surely God will be
just and fair on judgment day by asking each one of us questions
like...
Did you get to know my loving
son, Jesus? Even though the world was filled with so
much hate and violence, He still said that He wanted to go to you.
He said that His message was far too important to wait.
All my
Son wanted to do was to show me that He was right! That
you would make a difference!
He said that you knew that He
protected and covered your back so many times throughout your
life.
He said that you knew that
if He ever carried a wallet, that your picture would be in
it.
Tell me, did you try and help
protect my Son from those who falsely accused Him and then judged Him?
Did you know they tortured
my precious Son through the night and then with His last
remaining breath, He asked me to forgive them?
Did you know at anytime, My
son could have sent 10,000 angels to destroy the
world to save Himself? But He said that He wanted to go alone
and to show you that His message of unconditional love and
sacrifice will forever change your heart and save your
soul!
Tell me, as a Father, that I was right
in sending my only Son to be crucified to shed His precious
blood for you.
Tell me, was my Son right,
believing in you?
Did you help out the highway
patrolman, and others, by showing them compassion and mercy, at the
very lowest moments of their lives.
The ones that my Son Jesus, had
sent you?
"God
blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown
mercy" (Matthew 5:7)
"You see, God does not want
us to just care if we go to Heaven. He want's us to care
if everyone else goes to Heaven,
too."
What does it take to change the bitter and
judgmental heart of a person to show compassion and mercy to
those in troubled times? At what point in our life do we
become accountable in filling Church pews and decide not to do
Satan's work for him by creating division and destruction among
God's believers.
Did not Jesus lead by
example by showing us a pure heart of unconditional love and a
life of total forgiveness? Remember how excited Jesus was when He
first shared with you the wonderful story of His Mercy and
Grace and how He left his entire flock to save just one lost
sheep?
Remember what He
said? " that you were worth it!"
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." 1
John 4: 8
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this
all men know that ye are my diciples, if ye love one to another."
(John 13:34-35)
"[There is] therefore now no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the spirit." Romans 8:11
"God believes in
you"
Reverend Michael
Cartwright
