Where's your focus?
Do not focus on the sins of others, or the sins done against others, when you are currently living in sin. It takes the focus off of your own life, allowing you to feel better about yourself without having to go to God and ask him for forgiveness (and others if necessary).
This is how the most die-hard gossips start out. They have pain in their life and, afraid to deal with their own pain, they seek out the pain of others. And then they dwell on it, because in dwelling apart from themselves, they don't have to face themselves. It's like looking into a mirror, not liking what you see, and then taking pictures of other people and looking at them instead.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
The only reason to focus on anyone else is to love them. It could be anyone, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Andrew Jackson, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa...you...me...
We are all sinners and we need to go to Christ for our salvation, and through Christ the temple veil was torn. So now we are to go to God in prayer, about everything.
We need to deal with our own filth. It's not about cleaning the outside of the bowl and walking around with the inside still dirty. We need to live not as Christians who don't sin, but children of God who walk with the one who we put our faith in. We are to love others as we love ourselves, and part of loving yourself needs to be your ability to grow and learn and correct yourself (using the lessons imparted to you by God, through scripture, prayer and Godly counsel).
I am a Christian. I am not not a sinner.
I am a Christian. I am not not a killer.
I am a Christian. I am not not a theif.
We need to focus on ourselves first, so that when we love others, they don't look at our lives and call us liars for not living what we preach. Ask yourself, if you were being taken to court for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
I can tell you right now.
I'm guilty as charged (and getting guiltier day by day).
You?
This is how the most die-hard gossips start out. They have pain in their life and, afraid to deal with their own pain, they seek out the pain of others. And then they dwell on it, because in dwelling apart from themselves, they don't have to face themselves. It's like looking into a mirror, not liking what you see, and then taking pictures of other people and looking at them instead.
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
The only reason to focus on anyone else is to love them. It could be anyone, Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Andrew Jackson, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa...you...me...
We are all sinners and we need to go to Christ for our salvation, and through Christ the temple veil was torn. So now we are to go to God in prayer, about everything.
We need to deal with our own filth. It's not about cleaning the outside of the bowl and walking around with the inside still dirty. We need to live not as Christians who don't sin, but children of God who walk with the one who we put our faith in. We are to love others as we love ourselves, and part of loving yourself needs to be your ability to grow and learn and correct yourself (using the lessons imparted to you by God, through scripture, prayer and Godly counsel).
I am a Christian. I am not not a sinner.
I am a Christian. I am not not a killer.
I am a Christian. I am not not a theif.
We need to focus on ourselves first, so that when we love others, they don't look at our lives and call us liars for not living what we preach. Ask yourself, if you were being taken to court for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
I can tell you right now.
I'm guilty as charged (and getting guiltier day by day).
You?
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