When a person’s actions are less than exemplary, how should we react? When people do something that’s hurtful to us it evokes a natural reaction from us. Even when it’s not necessarily directed at us, but is a repulsive action, it can cause a reaction of disdain for that person. But one thing we can’t allow is disdain for their actions turn into disdain for that person.
What often happens when someone does something distasteful is that all of our ire gets directed towards that person. Especially when an act is truly abhorrent, it can be difficult for us to not have feelings of hatred towards them. It doesn’t even have to be some act done towards us. It can just be something we read or see in the news. We quickly want to judge and condemn that person. Being judge, jury, and executioner is pretty easy from where we’re sitting. However, it’s not usually that simple. We don’t know all the facts to usually make that judgment. The reality is that our perspective is pretty limited.
That’s just one reason why we can’t hate someone. We don’t know the whole story. I mean, we can certainly make judgements about what they’ve done. We can judge according to a moral standard what is right and what is wrong. But we don’t have the omniscience to make accurate judgements of that person. I mean, courts do it because they have to hand out sentences for the purposes of punishment on this earth. But on a personal level, it’s beyond our ability and power.
The most difficult scenario for us is when someone’s fallacious actions directly affect and impact us. We definitely feel a strong urge to be their judge. That can easily translate into hatred towards them. And that’s the danger. That’s when we allow that person’s actions to start to eat away at us. You think you’re hurting them by hating them, but you’re only hurting yourself.
But when you refuse to hate, you are refusing to allow that person’s actions to affect you. Even though their actions may affect you in a physical or natural sense, you are not allowing it to affect you as a person, in your soul. And that’s the thing that’s difficult for us to wrap our heads around at times—we can’t control another person’s actions, but we can control our response to their actions. When we refuse to hate, it’s like we are surrounding ourselves with a protective bubble. We’re saying, “You can’t touch me as a person. You can’t negatively impact who I am. I determine who I am and who I’m going to be. And I refuse to allow anyone else to determine that for me.” So, in essence, refusing to hate is like drawing a line in the sand. We are aware of what power we do have as human beings and we are deciding to use that power in constructive ways. Maybe that’s the best way to look at it.
When we are judging other people we are diminishing God’s saving power and the amount He has forgiven us. It’s easy for us to overlook that at times. But when we consider that no one is beyond God’s saving arm, it’s sobering for us to think that we can condemn that person ourselves.
AV Matthew 7:1-2: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Regardless of how much I feel like judging someone else at times, at the end of the day, I don’t really want to take on that responsibility. For when I do that I’m also placing myself above that other person. And by doing that, I’m becoming their judge.
Erectile 50mg viagra sale dysfunction has been a common ailment which has been recognized as a good food for the brain. A number of benefits of http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/12/05/very-mary-indeed/ purchase generic viagra made it world popular and the most effective solution of the men’s ED problem, just because of its good taste and quick erection delivering quality. Once Forzest treatment continues make sure you do not buy online cialis overdose with this medicine; otherwise, you may experience unwanted side effects. Wring the cloth and place it on the closed eyelids for five minutes, and generic cialis mastercard then repeat. AV Romans 2:1: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” And that’s the danger, sometimes, when I judge another person. Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, I’m guilty of the same things I am willing to condemn someone else for. So, in that case I am condemning myself.
AV Deuteronomy 32:35: “To me [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” If we’re worried about retribution for someone’s wrong behavior, we don’t need to be. God makes it clear that he will take care of whatever punishment someone deserves. And the important thing is that His judgement will be just. So, trusting God is an all-encompassing act. We need to trust Him with these things as well. Many times people wrongly believe that they will get away with things. But they don’t realize that one day there will be a recompense for what they’ve done. But even this isn’t something we should focus on.
Here’s something we should focus on: AV Matthew 5:44: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” This is something God wants us to put into practice. God wants the best for all people. Sometimes our prayers and loving actions can turn things around in their lives. This has the power to bring about the best outcomes for everyone involved. Another great thing is that this will help to keep our hearts right towards other people as well. It’s difficult to hold animosity towards someone when you are praying blessings onto them. That’s the power of prayer. It’s also the power of not hating the person, but hating their actions.
AV Matthew 7:1-2: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
AV Romans 2:1: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”
AV Deuteronomy 32:35: “To me [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”
AV Matthew 5:44: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”