The following two clips remind me of something that happened to me four years ago this month.
I had just gotten engaged to Missy. We were attending Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis. A friend of mine found out about our engagement and he asked if he could pray with me about it. I thought that was an excellent idea so we sat down at the table in my on campus apartment and he started to pray. He prayed for Missy. He prayed for me. He prayed for our well being, our family, etc. Then he prayed for something which I appreciated but had no idea he was going to say. He began to pray for our sexual purity through our engagement and any potential temptations we might face. With our heads bowed and eyes closed we heard the door to my apartment just 5 feet away open as he prayed, “Lord, please be with Missy and Matt and their sexual purity…” and then the door shut. To this day I have no idea who walked through that door but I remember wishing they knew the broader context of that prayer!
Don’t judge too quickly because you usually don’t know the whole story. We often make a lot of assumptions when we judge that can do a lot of damage to someone.
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As Matthew 7:1 says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” And goes on to say, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” -(7:2)
However, reading on gives you the context of these statements, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?”
The person Christ is speaking to? Hypocrites, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”
But we are as Christians to judge, not hypocritically, but as Christ said in John 7:24, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
And we must discern between that which is good and evil, as Solomon asked God, “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” -1st Kings 3:9
“And they shall teach my people [the difference] between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” -Ezekiel 44:23
“Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” -Malichi 3:18
“For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” -Hebrews 5:13-14
Ha! Great clips . . . I especially love the cat one.
Peace.
Those were great video clips!
Nice video. I got a good laugh. You are right, it is important to know the whole context of a thing before making a decision.
peace,
Kevin
Great story Matt! Loved it! And good videos!