Fired up....
As a former Pharisee, I am possibly acting like a reformed smoker here but man, these folks ticked me off! A Christian comedian left a status message on Facebook that said:
"A large percentage of Christians also think it's OK to shame other Christians for their failures."
Which of course drew the age old 'we're supposed to label sin as sin...Paul tells us so...We're not being judgmental when we say that something that is wrong is wrong" And other such generalities. Some folks actually believed that most people divorce over one spouse leaving their socks on the floor...I mean, WTF?
I tell you, I'm not really struggling with shame anymore for divorcing, God has set me right about that...I am ashamed that I used to be one of these haughty people...God has shown me so much of my own pride lately...OUCH. I put my response here as a record of where I came from and where I am going (which I hope is closer and closer to the authentic message of the Gospel) Truthfully, this could have been written TO me just a few years ago when I thought I had life all figured out and that I was smarter than everyone else because I could quote Scripture. Now I think I get it.
Well, folks, until you have walked a mile in someone else's shoes, it's kind of hard to decide if their divorce was sinful. Do you know my story? Do you understand what happened between my husband and me that caused the destruction of our marriage? Do you understand how long we stayed together trying to make it work? Do you know the relationship I have with my Father God and how He led me through all this and how he told me from the start that He would be with me no matter which way I chose? And that HE is the one who began pulling me away from a sick cycle that was killing both of us? You all like it when someone stands up and speaks Truth - well, here's something, take your 'church discipline' and your legalism and go look in a mirror. The heart of the gospel is LOVE. Our Lord sets boundaries for us to live in so that we are safe. Guidelines to measure our hearts and make us decide if we are loving one another and the Lord. It isn't about slavery to the 'law' or about sitting on our high horses proclaiming one another's actions as sinful.
What makes any of you qualified to make a blanket statement that a Christian should be 'ashamed' of themselves for divorcing when you have no way of knowing what they have walked through?
The early church was a collection of small communities wherein people knew each other and walked with each other, were familiar with one another's struggles and could speak from that place of understanding, as has my beautiful church family who has held me, loved me, challenged me, listened when I was broken inside. No one dragged me through shame and guilt. And neither does Jesus.
If you want to judge me, go to my Father God and accuse me. I'm certain He will tell you, "I know this situation and it's not yours to speak into. Go about your own business."
Evangelical Christians are so pro-marriage that 50% of us do it again
Ok, I know what he was driving at...But of course the majority of the responses were things like "Yeah! What's wrong with people", "Way to speak the truth, man!" "I've been married for 8 bajillion years and I'm all that because I have it all figured out!"...You know what I'm talking about. Well, since this hit close to home, I replied with:"A large percentage of Christians also think it's OK to shame other Christians for their failures."
Which of course drew the age old 'we're supposed to label sin as sin...Paul tells us so...We're not being judgmental when we say that something that is wrong is wrong" And other such generalities. Some folks actually believed that most people divorce over one spouse leaving their socks on the floor...I mean, WTF?
I tell you, I'm not really struggling with shame anymore for divorcing, God has set me right about that...I am ashamed that I used to be one of these haughty people...God has shown me so much of my own pride lately...OUCH. I put my response here as a record of where I came from and where I am going (which I hope is closer and closer to the authentic message of the Gospel) Truthfully, this could have been written TO me just a few years ago when I thought I had life all figured out and that I was smarter than everyone else because I could quote Scripture. Now I think I get it.
Well, folks, until you have walked a mile in someone else's shoes, it's kind of hard to decide if their divorce was sinful. Do you know my story? Do you understand what happened between my husband and me that caused the destruction of our marriage? Do you understand how long we stayed together trying to make it work? Do you know the relationship I have with my Father God and how He led me through all this and how he told me from the start that He would be with me no matter which way I chose? And that HE is the one who began pulling me away from a sick cycle that was killing both of us? You all like it when someone stands up and speaks Truth - well, here's something, take your 'church discipline' and your legalism and go look in a mirror. The heart of the gospel is LOVE. Our Lord sets boundaries for us to live in so that we are safe. Guidelines to measure our hearts and make us decide if we are loving one another and the Lord. It isn't about slavery to the 'law' or about sitting on our high horses proclaiming one another's actions as sinful.
What makes any of you qualified to make a blanket statement that a Christian should be 'ashamed' of themselves for divorcing when you have no way of knowing what they have walked through?
The early church was a collection of small communities wherein people knew each other and walked with each other, were familiar with one another's struggles and could speak from that place of understanding, as has my beautiful church family who has held me, loved me, challenged me, listened when I was broken inside. No one dragged me through shame and guilt. And neither does Jesus.
If you want to judge me, go to my Father God and accuse me. I'm certain He will tell you, "I know this situation and it's not yours to speak into. Go about your own business."
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