Oh, what a pleasant, cool day! We homeschooled outside this morning and the children played. They also enjoyed a nice picnic. I heard from The GuitarMan today and that was a sweet "interruption." He went home with friends this weekend so we didn't get to see him. Next weekend he has plans again. The he leaves the following week to go on tour with the chorale where they will end up in New Orleans. Well, he has it all planned out so we will get the chance to see each other in between all of that. It made this mom happy to know his family is important to him.
Cornbread suddenly wound up with a stuffy nose during the night and still has it. He is sleeping in my lap now. I've been blog-hopping while he rests. Blogger keeps irritating me lately because I'll leave these well thought out great comments (well, I think so anyway, ha!)on people's blogs and then it doesn't go through. Instead I get the page cannot be found thing. Arghh! Then if I try to go back to the page my comment is gone. Frustrating!
One comment I wanted to leave on one blog was on the subject of Halloween. Now I already shared that we choose to not celebrate it. This friend shared how she came to the conviction that she should and was criticized by church friends, leaving their relationships somewhat cool, I guess you would say.
It's a shame that Christians want to play Holy Spirit instead of loving and being there for each other. We get so excited because God reveals something to us and we think everyone else should hop on it, too. Then when they come to a different conclusion we decide they aren't as close to God as we are. Here comes the judgement. It would be far better to live out your own convictions and stick to letting the Holy Spirit do His work. I think it is good to share how He is leading you to live. It makes us think and decide what we believe and why. But when we cross over into pointing fingers we are in dangerous territory.
Things I've seen?
Judging people because they DO celebrate Halloween.
Judging people because they DON'T.
Judging women because they DO work outside the home.
Judging women because they DON"T.
Judging people because they DO follow Jesus.
Judging people because they DON'T.
Do you get my drift? The criticism goes both ways but it only causes hurt feelings. It doesn't change beliefs. I do believe that God's Word is true, concrete and unchangeable. I think the answers to life's problems and questions are there. Once I grasp hold of a conviction in my heart I don't budge. (friends and family can attest to that one LOL) And for all the firm beliefs I've reached I know God is still working and will reveal more to me as I grow in Him.
But what happens when we both study it and come up with different answers? Well, one has to be wrong, wouldn't you say? Why do we always assume it's the other person?
My conclusion is....live out your convictions! I don't want to be guilty of judging someone instead of loving them. Love each other, pray for each other and model yourself after Christ. If I believe something is wrong and I make you feel despised for your choices in it then how will you ever change? If I feel something is wrong but you say it's ok...then you judge me for my avoiding it, how will I ever feel any freedom? Better to let them see me living out my convictions, sticking to my beliefs, and not getting angry just because we are all at different points in our walk with Christ. See, I think the Holy Spirit is so much bigger than any of these questions. So if our sincere hope is to be led into a deeper relationship with Christ and each other we can trust Him to lead us and change us. Because really it's not about us. It's about Him. :) Be blessed today!
It is so nice to read your blog again. It has been so crazy around here I have not even checked a blog in over a week!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this one though. I would say we somewhat celebrate Halloween, we do the dressing up thing (not scary is a rule) and attend the various fall festivals around. I call it Halloween for lack of a better word. I certainly see the point in not recognizing it, but I do not have a driving conviction to be anti-halloween. I do appreciate how you have brought to light the judgment issue. It is so easy to judge for one reason or the other. And in most cases, we should leave it to God, not ourselves the be the Holy Spirit to someone. We always need to be reminded of that because it is very easy to become pious in our views.
As always, thanks for the reminder. You have such a gentle and gracious way of putting it
:)
Shana,
ReplyDeleteI've missed you! Yes, to me, in a way, the judgmental, holier than thou type attitudes that get thrown around sometimes should be just as much a conviction to ALL Christians, regardless of what your stance is on Halloween. It would crush me to know that I had hurt someone over something like this.
It's a very different thing to go to a brother or sister in Christ to lovingly help them deal with a blatant sin or ,in contrast, try to shove your own convictions on them. Whether for or against, no one is going to be lifted up while being crushed under the weight of my judgment.
Love ya!!
More people should realize it is about HIM and not us:-)
ReplyDeleteSuch a good admonition. We really do have freedom in Christ and we must allow others freedom unless it blatantly goes against a clear mandate.
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts, ladies! I was really hoping folks would see my heart on this topic. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a refreshing post.Years ago we use to take our kids trick or treating...I didn't see anything wrong with it, however, I never allowed my kids to participate in the gore of it because I didn't agree with it. I was a Christian at the time , my husband was not and we had a Christian family member that would breath down our necks (mostly mine) about how wrong it was to take our kids trick or treating. It made me feel bad, like I was being a bad Christian & mom because I would participate in such a thing.Problem was,it wasn't just up to me. My husband thought it was fine they went trick or treating, but sad to say, I nagged him to death because I felt so much pressure by other Christians to conform to the "right", "more holy", or "Christian" way. He agreed with me just to get me off his back. That was 9 years ago. The past few years we've talked about taking the kids trick or treating but didn't. Well this year, we were asked to go with another family and I asked my husband what he thought (he is a Christian now) and he decided he thought it would be just fine to go. I'm going to follow my husband's lead this time, unless of course it is a down right obvious sin. : ) To me trick or treating is a gray area and to others it may not be, I understand and respect that. I can see now though how I was sinning (nagging my husband,until he agreed with me) over something that I thought might be sinful because other people, that weren't my husband, said so.
ReplyDeleteJust Me,
ReplyDeleteI could just feel through your words how that must have made you feel! Satan really is a master at whispering, "Not good enough!" in our ear. What is so sad is when we unwittingly allow him to use us, as Christians, to do it to each other!
I particularly have a soft spot for women who are trying to walk with Christ and their husband either is not or isn't saved at all. How wonderful that your husband now knows the Lord. Obviously Christ is working in both of you, praise Him!
Keep trusting God to lead, guide and direct your family through your husband's willing submission to Christ. :)