Acceptance

“So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “’As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” Romans 14:10-13

A lot of people I know have struggled with finding an accepting, non-judgmental church home. Some of those people have even lost faith in what they see as being “Christianity” due to this. This saddens me, not just for them, but for us as Christians whose job it is to live in the light of the Lord and to bring lost sheep to Him, not to push them away. I have found myself on more than one occasion trying to explain that not all churches are judgmental, and not all are condemning to people who might have different points of view or live their lives in a different way than the majority of their congregation does. Everyone deserves a chance to live in the wonderful perfect light that Christ shines on his children. When a Christian chooses to love God, and accept Christ as their personal savior and leader in all things, that person also accepts the responsibility, the privilege of loving all of God’s children.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, guide me today in showing others the light of God within me. Help me to accept others who are different from me. Help me not to judge Your children, because that’s Your job, not mine. Show me how to bring lost sheep to You, and help them see the beauty of Your unconditional love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Brandi Phillips