An Uncharitable Thought…….

An Uncharitable Thought

It has taken a LONG time for me to have the courage to post this one. I hope you find the humour surrounding the offensive thought! Who am I to judge?

Scripture says this on the matter:

https://bible.com/bible/1588/mat.7.1-5.AMP

“ Do not judge and criticize and condemn [others unfairly with an attitude of self-righteous superiority as though assuming the office of a judge], so that you will not be judged [unfairly]. For just as you [hypocritically] judge others [when you are sinful and unrepentant], so will you be judged; and in accordance with your standard of measure [used to pass out judgment], judgment will be measured to you. Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite (play-actor, pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:1-5 AMP

https://bible.com/bible/1588/mat.7.1-5.AMP

(Originally written on Dec 15, 2017, updated today, December 4, 2022)

I like going to church on Sunday. It does me good to sing worship songs about God and faith, to meet with others of like faith, to hear a message that is instructive and encouraging to my walk through life with God.

I enjoyed the service at OceanCrest this morning, as usual, coffee afterwards, and the blessing of stopping by the piano to listen to one fellow I usually see at the Lighthouse playing so beautifully on the piano after service was over. I thanked him gratefully and left happily to drive home.

On the way home, I glanced out at the Casino and noticed quite a few cars parked. I wondered at that, on a Sunday morning, and then this thought crossed my mind. “I guess that’s their church.” Immediately, I thought how UNCHARITABLE a thought that was! Yes, I DID indeed think that uncharitable thought!

Who exactly did I think I was?!?!?

I thought about some of my OWN activities outside of Sunday services and listed them off rather ruthlessly in my mind for self correction.

There was the Church of the Telly, which I attended faithfully most evenings, often with another friend, eager to see what was going on, along with millions of other eager “worshippers”.

There was the Fellowship of the Internet, where I “worshipped” most faithfully throughout the days, with so many others, almost to the point of obsession, if it were not for the Church of the Telly and some other loved activities that interfered with my regular attention to it.

There was the Temple of Contortion, my yoga class, three times a week, where we elderly folks huffed and puffed in a kindred fellowship of sorts, stretching out our assorted limbs together in earnest chorus, and going for coffee afterwards at the Senior’s Center.

We ARE what we DO…..

There’s a thought worth paying attention to.

I can’t be totally uncharitable to myself either, though, because church is not just a Sunday thing for me. There are other aspects of meeting with believers in times of fellowship, singing, playing accordion, and so on, because I enjoy that. I like singing or playing at the Lighthouse and singing at the Christmas Kettle. I’ve enjoyed many team ministry visits to local senior residences as well.

There are other activities I spend time in. I enjoy weekly home visitation with an elderly shut-in lady. I help people with letter writing and solve a variety of computer problems for those with little tech savvy. I advocate for elders in various ways. I like word puzzles and I also enjoy writing for this blog.

All of these things I do are time-consuming, and we only have the gift of just so much time. It becomes important to reflect on what exactly we are doing with that precious gift of time. I’m glad I was forced to think about that today.

What is your personal preference (your “church”, your “fellowship”) in all of the available activity out there?

How do you spend your time?

Are you into sports? Football? Hockey?

Do you religiously attend the Arena of Athletic Activity, whatever your chosen activity might be ?

Some of us drown our loneliness and sorrows in the Fellowship of the Bottle, or at the Altar of Addiction, whether it may be alcohol, pop, food, gaming, the cell phone or the iPad.

There is something for everyone out there other than God and church.

We are all susceptible to many allurements. Not all bring health and healing. Not all bring comfort and peace of the kind that was mentioned in church this morning.

We make choices every day. How and why we choose what we do impacts our own lives and the lives of others around us, within our “fellowship” circle, but also often outside of that.

It’s like dropping a pebble into the quiet waters of a pond. There is a temporal or earthy impact, often quite visible, like the ever-widening ripples on the pond, but there is also a deeper, longer-lasting, eternal impact that many of us do not even take the time to ponder.

I wonder….

Food for thought?

Something to consider?

Am I helping, or hurting?

Do my thoughts, my words, or my actions, tear down and destroy, or do they bring comfort, encouragement, and healing to myself or others?

What will count for eternity?

“A voice says, Cry [prophesy]! And I said, What shall I cry? [The voice answered, Proclaim:] All flesh is as frail as grass, and all that makes it attractive [its kindness, its goodwill, its mercy from God, its glory and comeliness, however good] is transitory, like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely [all] the people are like grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. [James 1:10, 11; I Pet. 1:24, 25.]”

Isaiah 40:6-8 AMPC

http://bible.com/8/isa.40.6-8.ampc

God is everlasting and faithful, and yet He chooses to bestow His love and care, his patience and His forgiveness upon us. He gives us all the promises of His word in the Bible, for our encouragement, comfort, and strength in the face of the many trials that may assault us.

How good is THAT?

May I be a blessing to others and not think ANY MORE uncharitable thoughts!

God forgive my unruly heart and mind and set me on a right path!  ❤

AJ