Through the pain of being punished when forgiveness and Grace were sufficient I see the hole in my own performance.  If we are walking around looking for an offense to come then it doesn’t show, do we then manufacture one that we might control the other party by giving them the silent treatment before offering Grace?  What happened to being different from the world, or not being citizens of the world?  People are looking at us because they expect to see something different that they might have a recent to pursue a faith of their own.  When we fail to understand the Grace we’ve been given that wasn’t deserved and we continue to play the game of Crime and Punishment with the people around us, no wonder they don’t see anything different or attractive in our behavior.

And what happened to plain old fashioned respect, accountability and lack of hypocrisy?Oh I should have shortened that and just said, “Christian”.  If I tell you that you should look at the best intentions of everyone around me and then the moment you even appear close enough to step on my toes I banish you from my kingdom, how is that in any way, appearance or realistically, being Christian?  Our actions matter, especially those actions against those closest to us, the ones we have a reason to love.  People are watching are you aware that they are looking to you for an example of Christianity?

I am obviously meant for this lesson.  Thank you Lord for sending me the pain in understanding that Grace must abound if we are to win hearts and minds to Christ.  WE cannot reach them without a touch of the Holy Spirit, so the fact that they are already standing in front of me is testimony that has already occurred.  If they have been placed in front of me because the Holy Spirit directed them there then I must be awakened to the truth of Divine Opportunities.  And subsequently be conscious of the extension of God’s Love at that crucial moment.  If I am so prepared for an offense, do you think it likely that I will be surprised by kindness, love and plain old human frailty?  I cannot keep looking to punish those around me into acting the way that I want them to, for that places me in the position of control a position for which I was never intended.  It is also the process embraced and practiced by this world, so if our process matches theirs please remind me how we are called out from the world, remaining unspotted by the world or just passing through as citizen of the heavenly realm.  If it looks human, acts human and treats other with harshness like all other humans then it ain’t of Jesus and I then pray that the Lord remove it from me for good.  In Jesus’ Name.