Let go of Prejudice

Dear Ones,

I haven't forgotten you - not by a long shot! Getting my land legs back in the office has taken a few extra days.  Regardless, you are ALL recipients of my prayers everyday and often, many times a day. 

 

Heavenly Father,

With all my heart I desire that my communication will continually be motivating out of love for others. I pray the same for my loved ones.  Show all of us how to change wrong attitudes and to let go of prejudice and bad feelings toward others.  Expose insecurities that push us into being self-defensive; expose any bias that would compete with Your purposes.  Lord, may we all be transparent and especially with one another within the family. Your light and Your Truth dispels darkness.  We want to walk in Your Light and be Your Light in this sad, broken dark world.

 

May we honestly esteem others and value their opinions, avoiding stupid and foolish controversies and dissensions. The power of life and death is in the tongue and You said that we would eat the fruit of our tongues.  A word out of the mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything....or destroy everything. Lord You are our God and we love You. May we seek to be Your instruments in developing God-fearing, healthy communities, no matter where we reside. May we treat one another with dignity and honor. May we treat everyone, whether deserving or undeserving, with dignity and honor....all to Your Glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen

 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  - I John 3:1

 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  -Ephesians 4:29-32

 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,  write them on the tablet of your heart. - Proverbs 3:3

How People Grow by Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend

·        Ultimately, judging has to do with playing God. When we judge someone we do three things:

1.      We place ourselves above another as if we were his or her God

2.      We condemn another

3.      We create the standard for another

When we evaluate someone, we don’t do these three things. We do not:

1.      Place ourselves above the other person, we identify with the person as a fellow sinner and struggler, humbling ourselves as we realize that we are subject to temptation too Gal 6:1

2.      Condemn another person and damn this person with guilt, shame and wrath of the law. We are sinners are just as guilty and so not have that privilege Romans 2:3

3.      Make up the stand. We humbly bow to God’s standard in evaluating each other and call each other to repentance.

Therefore the three elements of helpful evaluation are humility, forgiveness and correction. None of these entail playing God.

In a classic Sunday comic strip from Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts, Linus is eating a sandwich and Lucy is nearby as he begins to ponder. "Hands are fascinating things," he says. "I like my hands. I think I have nice hands. My hands seem to have a lot of character. These are hands which may someday accomplish great things. These are hands which may someday do marvelous works. They may build mighty bridges, or heal the sick, or hit home runs, or write soul-stirring novels. These are hands which may someday change the course of destiny!"  A moment of silence. Then Lucy's one-line reply: "They've got jelly on them." Even as we laugh, we know that Lucy's comment is typical of the way she treats other people. And, unfortunately, it is also a picture of how you can treat your spouse

or family. ​

 Rather than encouraging your 

​loved one 

and building him or her up, you choose instead to be the voice of criticism and harsh reality.

​I pray we never stop learning nor never stop growing, Dear Ones. Our God is always on the move and we should be, too. 

Forever and Always, r​