Living in the Spirit
May 31, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 3:1-17

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. –John 3:17

There is a lot of condemnation going around in the world right now no more apparent than in the church where it has no place at all according to the scripture today. Why do humans have a need to condemn?

There was a man where I worked many years ago with whom I did not get along. He was in a powerful position and frankly, he was of the opinion women should be seen and not heard at least certainly not in the work place. His main tactic to keep me in my place was to withhold vital information from me that impacted the work I did and then casually toss it into the dialogue in meetings with our superiors rendering whatever I had presented useless or at least naive.  In one meeting while I was presenting a major new program he kept getting up and pacing about the room like he was bored to death. It was very distracting and I final called him by name and said in I am sure an exasperated voice, “Would you please sit down.” He did and I completed my presentation. My immediate supervisor was in the room, was very aware of this person’s treatment of me, and had actually come to my aide in the past. After the meeting the supervisor told me that this was my advisories first day back from having had hemorrhoid surgery and he probably was having problems sitting.

We do not know what God does about anyone. We do no good by condemning anyone for behavior we may or may not understand. Our assigned duty is to love them, welcome them, and let God deal with anything that might need to be addressed.

Prayer: Lord, guard me from letting my insecurities overpower my ability to love as Jesus loved. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.