[Thursday's Devotional] - Love does not dishonour others

Love does not dishonour others But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Romans 14: 23 [NIV]   Have you doubted during difficult times? Have you done something out of fear or excitement (emotions), or led by our strong desires (will) or out of our own wisdom (mind) and not by faith? According to the verse above we have all sinned – myself included!   If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. James 4:17 [NIV]   There are so many good things we know we need to do but we don't do them. For example, we know we need to help or encourage someone and to share the gospel with people of other faiths or our unsaved boss but we don't do it because of fear. Rather, we feel safe sharing God's word with one another as Christians. We speak evil about others at the slightest opportunity - and when we sin against others we sin against Christ.   Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:1-5 [NIV]   Some of us are quick to judge "the evil" others do, yet we all have planks in our own eyes. In the bible there is no big or small sin. Sin is sin and that's why everyone has to confess and repent from something (including the evil we do but don't know we do), every time we pray before God.   Isn't it amazing that those of us who are good at pointing out the wrongs others do are the least qualified to do so?   To the Pharisees who brought a woman caught committing adultery, Jesus said let the one who hasn't sinned cast the first stone at her. They all disappeared showing that only Jesus is qualified to judge us all. He didn't condemn the woman but spoke kindly with her and let her go away free with advice not to sin again. Only the goodness of Christ leads to repentance.   We need to adopt this attitude as Christians. We are all sinners, and work in progress – the best and worst among us.  Let's bear with each other's weaknesses everyday till Christ returns. The mark of a true Christian is loving others as Jesus did!   Farai Mutsambiwa   Twitter Website Copyright © 2017 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!