Mom

Photo by Vic Orenstein

(note: this post is not to shame moms into anything. Mothers day is coming and I wanted to post on the new found respect that I have for the role of parenting that came through this quote/thought process.)
Moms have a tough job. I have recently come to a greater respect for that seeing my wife carry out normal everyday tasks without motherhood responsibilities. Looking back I see in my childhood where I made it even more difficult for my mom. There have to be many joys that come with motherhood because I am fully aware of the emotional pains that my siblings and I have cause our mother over the years.

On a car ride this Sunday there was a quote by Charles Spurgeon that was brought to my attention. This has shaken me into a reality check of new proportions when pondering parenthood.
First the context for the mind blowing revelation is remembering this quote
"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms around their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. - C.H. Spurgeon

How important is the job of a parent? The responsibility of carrying the gospel and sharing it with your children. And even more so teaching them that god is sovereign and completely just.
With that being taught it must also be believed...
“seek God for yourself; or rather, God must seek you. You must have vital experience of godliness in you heart, or else you are lost, even though all your friends were in heaven. That was a dreadful dream which a pious mother once had, and told to her children. She thought the judgment day was come. The great books were opened. They all stood before God. And Jesus Christ said, "Separate the chaff from the wheat; put the goats on the left hand, and the sheep on the right. The mother dreamed that she and her children were standing just in the middle of the great assembly. And the angel came, and said, "I must take the mother, she is a sheep: she must go to the right hand. The children are goats: they must go on the left." She thought as she went, her children clutched her, and said, "Mother, can we part? Must we be separated?" She then put her arms around them, and seemed to say, "My children, I would, if possible, take you with me." But in a moment the angel touched her; her cheeks were dried, and now, overcoming natural affection, being rendered supernatural and sublime, resigned to God's will, she said, "My children, I taught you well, I trained you up, and you forsook the ways of God; and now all I have to say is, Amen to you condemnation." - C.H. Spurgeon

The gut wrenching thought, and yet how beautiful to know the perfect righteous God will always be just in His actions. And that no man will enter the without the cover of Christ's blood.
Ephesians 2:1-10

Judging (Part 2)

Dave Swavely writes in Who Are You to Judge? : "In his case of judging in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5, the apostle Paul has called two witnesses so far- The incompleteness of man's judgment (it is seriously limited) and the insubordination of man's judgment (it is a sin of disobedience to God). In verse 5 he call another witness- the inappropriateness of judging."

1 Corinthians 4:5 - "Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God."

Here we see that the Lord is the only qualified Judge. Romans 14:4 - "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

He is also the only capable Judge. Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

How can one judge another if they do not know the motives behind a persons actions? It is wrong to assume that you know their motives and that is exactly what sinful judging is. Too often we as humans jump to conclusions about everything, before we know anything that happened. We assume that we know everything that goes on in someone's head, but in reality all we see is the action.

Paul writes that God will "bring to light the things now hidden in darkness." That is our heart motives for every action we have ever done. He knows why we do what we do. And He says that on the Judgment Day, God will bring them to light. He will make them known and "each one will receive commendation from God." God alone will judge our hearts.

Dave Swavely gives an example of what could happen to someone who judges falsely and then stands before the Lord:

"I don't want to stand under the fiery glare of our holy God, and hear Him say to me, 'Did you think that this child of mine was wrong in what he did, and criticize him to other?'

'Y-y-yes, Lord,' I will have to answer, with a gulp.

'Well, I did not think he was wrong at all! Nothing in My Bible said what he did was wrong, and I happen to know that his heart was right, which makes Me quite pleased with him. So the only person who was wrong in that situation was you!'"

Do you want to be known as a judgmental person? Someone who tries to blame others of false motives? God will judge those who judge. Do you think He will be please that we think that we can accurately do His job? I don't want to be known as someone who thinks that He can take God's place as the true Judge. You may not think you are when you judge, but in your heart you think that you know what only God knows.

Lord, humble us. Put us in our place as servants willingly submitting, and not constantly trying to ineffectively overthrow You. Give us strength to fight against this sin of Judging. Thank you for Christ and His work that has abolished sin for Your glory!