My sister and I were talking on the phone the other day. We live in two different states and we do not see one another very often. She was telling me how much she appreciated being able to pray with me. I was in agreement and told her what a privilege it is to join my faith with hers. It was just a sweet moment where we were just celebrating one another and being thankful to God for the gift of friendship we share as adult women, sisters, moms, and wives. I quoted Ram Dass and said, "We're all just walking each other Home."
Sometimes life is not so sweet. Sometimes we get lost in the mundane of day to day living. We can get caught up in the cares of this life and we do not remember to walk our sisters and brothers home. It might be easier to speak discouraging words or make unkind comments. But this is so dangerous. If we begin to judge one another and pick apart one another, we have lost sight of what God's purpose truly is for us. Romans 15:1 says, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." Life is really not about you. Life is really not about me. We are pilgrims, passing through this world, and we are instructed to help each other and love each other.
The concept of Judgment Day is not popular. Most of the time pastors avoid talking about being accountable but we touched on this a little bit last week during Fuel For The Weekend. Remember about the Bloody Hands? God has not let me leave this topic yet and He wants me to share more about judgment as we journey through this life in hopes of making it into the next.
Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought (despise) thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
That is pretty clear to me. Why do we judge one another? Why do we hate one another? Why are we jealous of one another? We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We will stand alone. We will not have a group of friends with us. We will not be standing in line with our family. We will not be in the congregation of our church. 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Rich men and women will bow their knee and confess Jesus is Christ. Poor men and women will bow their knee and confess. Oh, they may not do that now in this life, but they will do it later. Every member of the human race will kneel before King Jesus. Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
When we die, we face judgment. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. This is something that is going to happen. We will all stand before God and give an account. Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. When we stand there we are going to answer for some things we have done. Will this be a day we can smile and look into the face of God knowing we lived a life to please Him? Will we be like Paul? 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. Or will we be carrying grudges with us, bitterness growing like a cancer, and grudgingly bow the knee and confess Jesus is Lord?
The Bible says we are to give an account of ourselves. We are not going to answer for one another. We cannot make excuses and say we did not have what we needed to serve God. He equips us. We cannot blame others for holding us back. If we must answer for our own words and deeds, then we have enough to keep us busy if we stay focused on our own heart and our own relationship with God. We have no time to tear others down around us. Let's build each other up.
Romans 4:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. Hear me well. We all have an adversary, the devil, who is going to try to block us, stop us, hurt us, and kill us. He is putting stumbling blocks all in the path God has set our feet on. We must not do the same thing to one another. In fact, instead of watching others trip and fall and celebrating their demise, let's stretch out our hand to help. Let's be watching out for one another. "Hey friend, there's a stumbling block, put your foot on it and watch it become a stepping stone. Go up higher brother. Go up higher sister." Let's begin to cheer each other on. Pray for one another. Love one another. We do not want to leave anyone behind.
Romans 4:17-19 For the Kingdom of God is not meat (food) and drink: but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. The Kingdom of God is not what we do, the things we have, the status we obtain. No, it is God's righteousness, the peace that passes all understanding, and the joy unspeakable and full of glory found in the precious Holy Ghost: the third person in the Holy Trinity. When we are going after the righteousness of God, living peaceable with one another, and walking in the joy that no circumstances or bad news can ever take away, we are serving Christ. We are then acceptable to God and approved of men. So we need to follow hard after these things. Let's build each other up.
Friends, it is too dangerous to sit in judgment. That is not our seat to sit in. The judgment seat belongs to Jesus Christ. He is the righteous judge and He has the power to cast judgment. You and I are under His grace. Any good we do is not because we are good, it's because of the power of God at work in our lives. Let's remember who we are and Who we belong to. Time is short and it will not be long before this world is passed away. Start helping everyone you can make it Home.
I hope you think of these things this weekend. Start some conversations with others and tell them what the Bible says about judgment. Judgment belongs to God. We are all in a race but we are competing against ourselves. We need to be better today than yesterday. We do not need to look at our brothers and sisters and compare ourselves to them and become jealous or mean-spirited. We are all in the race toward Home. Let's just celebrate one another and cheer each other on. You will never regret it!
I hope something I have shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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