Passing Sentence

I was looking at a picture of my wife and I the other day that was taken at our wedding almost 39 years ago.  I guess I was being a little philosophical for as I gazed at the photo and the bright, happy and expectant look that was captured upon our faces, I suddenly began to question many things.  When the actual shot was taken, we had only been married for a few hours and were about to drive away on our first adventure as a married couple.  We had our whole new life before us, and while neither of us had any idea of what that entailed, we were excited and knew that together, we could do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

While focusing in on my wife in that print, I found myself asking aloud if I had done everything through the years to best protect, honor and care for her since that day in 1975.  Did I stay true to the covenant I made with her to love and cherish her?  Is there more that I could have done?  How many times did I do stupid things that may have hurt or discouraged her.  Did I provide properly and/or give her all that I could through the years? 

These and many more questions were advancing across my mind when I heard a contrasting voice inside suddenly pop up and begin to remind me of all the good, fun and positive things that we accomplished over our years together.  Our united focus and zeal to serve the Lord through music, children’s, youth and singles ministry and the dramatic arts.  Raising four wonderful children who all love the Lord and are sensitive and obedient to His call on their lives, and the joy at seeing my lovely wife pursue her heart-felt dreams and gifting’s such as to successfully homeschool our kids through high school.  And you know… the more I thought about it, the more the positive events of our marriage far out-weighed any negative times and/or mistakes on my behalf!

I saw many similarities to that experience looking at that photography and my ensuing thoughts and with what Jesus told us as in John 3:17.  The James Moffatt translation declares that “God did not send his Son into the world to pass sentence on it, but to save the world through him.”  While I meditated this morning on how human nature tends to want us to “pass sentence” on others, I had the thought that this is also what many of us will be quick to do concerning ourselves as well…  Just as I did while looking at our wedding pictures the other day!

My first thoughts were toward the negative side, of all the possible mistakes that I had made.  I mean, I was getting ready for a good ole’ get-down-on-myself pity party for a moment there!  But thank God that He quickly turned the tables on those thoughts and got me pointed in a more constructive direction.  I realized then that the Lord was trying to tell me that we should be just as positive with ourselves as we are taught to be with others… especially when we make a mistake or follow a course of action that didn’t quite turn out as planned!

I am sure that Jesus wants us to love ourselves when we fall short of the goal just as much (if not more) than we should love others in their questionable times.  Think about it… when we are down on ourselves, we are not much good to others!  The whole concept and process of learning from our mistakes while forgiving ourselves and forgetting the fault is just as true for ourselves as it is in our interactions with others.  In the natural it is kind of difficult to cast a stone at yourself, but we all have tried to do it on many occasions!  According to Jesus’ words in John 3:17, I think that it is time to STOP that activity… don’t you?

Have a wonderful week.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What I am expecting today?”