Dear Ones,
Hope you have a wonderful day. We enjoyed having Joe and Lars for supper last night on their way to the lake. I tried the new recipe on them and they liked the crustless pizza! Al will soon be off to meet with the men at church. I plan to go to Exercise class, Crafts and later Bible study
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Why do we think it is our place to impose our opinion on others as if it were the only way to look at things? When I grew up, it was actually fun to discuss the different ways we saw things from our own perspective. I wonder what has happened in our culture, where we often don’t even dare to express our opinion that is contrary to what someone else holds. I like to think of it as we are all looking at a mountain, and depending on where we are, we view it in different ways. Some see a thick forest of trees and others from another side see a plateau of rocks and sit down. Some near the top may see no trees at all and have a panoramic view. No sense in arguing about what we see, for it makes a difference where we stand and each is valid.

Recently I was reading from Romans 14 where Paul is dealing with those who had different views on eating and observing certain days, and criticized others who didn’t see things the same way as they did. In The Message, Paul is very clear and starts out by saying, “Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. Don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with- even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department.” He says to treat them gently, not be critical, and let God make the corrections without our help. Each one of us forms are own convictions and are to follow our consciences as we are answerable to the Lord, not each other.

That means we are not to criticize other Christians or be judgmental towards them as we have our own lives to take care of. The Message says, “So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.” Let us not get in the way of how the Lord may be leading another believer and decide for them how they should think and feel about all kinds of issues. Instead, let us encourage them and share our lives together as we cultivate our own relationship with the Lord.

Challenge for today: Show an interest in knowing the viewpoint of others and let love govern it.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy