I recall a
story from a pastor who was eating at a restaurant for breakfast. The waitress
was short and curt and almost threw his plate in front of him. When the pastor
asked for the check she hurriedly scribbled on it and tossed it in front of
him. The bill came to about 8 dollars.
The pastor
reached in his wallet and left a 5 dollar tip. While waiting in line to pay the
waitress came up to him with the 5 dollar bill and said, “Here, you left this
on the table”. The pastor asked if they allow tips in this restaurant and the
waitress looked at him as if he was crazy. The pastor said to her, “You are not
a bad person. Somewhere your heart is hurting.” The woman began to cry and the pastor
was able to minister to her.
And yet I
have seen believers complain loudly if their steak is not cooked right or if
the service is less than they expect. Sometimes what seems to be unfair
inconveniences are actually spiritual opportunities.
A word
fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
So true Rick. Sometimes it's easier for believers & unbelievers alike to take a perceived slight personally. -Noel
ReplyDeleteI got an email from an old friend today accusing me of being judgmental.
ReplyDeleteI used Scripture in my email to this old friend. I guess popularity, praise from men made him forget the very Word he seeks to defend. Such is not the case.
I used the following Scriptures; please let me know if I need to be corrected:
Hold fast to your Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel, and not that of man. I will pray for God's will in your life as well as the wisdom to see what this book is doing for your walk. Perhaps this is correction, or perhaps it is the persecution that you should fall on your knees before the Lord in thanksgiving to be worthy of. Keep your expectations in the Spirit my brother, not in the flesh. Temporal is this wrangling, so view it as such. If everything you had was taken away because of your book, would you leave your first love? I pray not! Stay steady in the course, fight the good fight with fasting and prayer, surrender all to God.
Philippians 2:2-15
2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Acts 5:41
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.
To hold fast to the Gospel and to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is God's will for us.
ReplyDeleteThat's not being judgmental but shows Cherie that you are a beautiful, compassionate encourager.
Christ is our wisdom, so your praying for your friend to grow more godly shows your sensitive and loving heart.
God bless you.
I think christians make that accusation of judgmentalism against others to insulate themselves from needed correction and accountability. We ARE to be discerning of ideas and the spirits from which they originate; we ARE to judge teachings; we ARE to submit one to another in the fear of God. It must always be done in love,which is more difficult than we realize until we fail and see we've spoken out of our own flesh. And speaking in the fullness of time, which often means waiting until a green light from the Holy Spirit. But offering the Holy Scriptures to shed light into a situation cannot be sinfully judgmental unless we are using it as a club to hurt someone or to manipulate someone. Oh I suffer under the accusation of judgmentalism to a terrible degree myself, from others and then heaping it on myself. The Lord sifts our hearts and He knows.
ReplyDeleteSome people just want our unconditional support whether they're in the Lord's will or not,and lash out to hurt us if we fail to stroke them.
I'm learning gentleness.
Victoria
I am not always tactful when I write to others and even my posts here at times. That is why I stay close to Scripture when I do as not to sound self righteous or puffed up. I worry about that. It is a fine line, and I am still learning as I am sure we all are.
ReplyDeleteThank you Josef I appreciate your kind words. I really did post this as to receive correction because I do not want to error, and didn't think I did. It is good to ask brothers and sisters so that I can receive correction as not to offend the Lord and repent if need be. I repent every day anyway because being in this flesh, I am sure I have done something that is not in God's Will, so to be like David, I ask the Lord to search my heart.
Love to all my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.
Well Cherie you asked?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me if your response with Scripture to your old friend was " after " reading this article then you missed the point of the article?
If not I still would not have "used" verbatim the verses if in fact that's what you did in response responding to their charge against you?
What I come away with by the story published was the ACT of the Scriptures demonstrating the Gospel the way this Pastor did by leaving such a gracious tip inspite of the acts of the waitress with her demeanor not drawing attention to her or them by quoting verses to her or even engage in a conversation with her about her rudeness.
The pastor's demonstration of God's abundant Grace by giving her an undeserved tip seems to be what opened this waitress' heart to be touched by the ministry that followed the Sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit?
I too have a few examples I could share about waitresses with bad attitudes that were overcome by a kindness and a gentleness done to them inspite of them or their rudenesses.
Who was it that said "we should actively preach the Gospel in all circumstances and use words only when necessary?"
This article is a great demonstration of that saying!
Yes, Michael, we are called to spread the good news. But many times before we can we must open a door through acts of kindness even at the expense of our own pride. The pastor looked past the rudeness of the waitress and saw her need.
ReplyDeleteThat is being Jesus.
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteNo, my question was not based upon reading this post. It was about an email as stated. With the love of a sister, I have to respectfully disagree with you. I am not going to short change Scripture to put someone at ease. I do not compromise God's Word. If they find the loving Word of God offensive, it is not me but God's Word they have a problem with. No one likes correction, but we all need it. If you could give me your thoughts just based upon what I wrote and not just on this post it would be a blessing. I used Scripture because I try to keep me out of a given situation so that I do not get it wrong or allow self righteousness to slip in. God's Word is good for all things. I used it to encourage this friend and he attacked me. Typical of what someone who is not following the Lord would do. =D
your sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.
I love this post as it really cut through my heart. Many of us have worked in the restaruant business experiencing a life that is known to many, yet foreign to some. I have watressed, hostessed, and eventually moved into an assistant manager position before leaving this line of work altogether. In this work environment, one meets the character of man to the fullest; customers can be kind, loving, compassionate, fascinating, interesting, fun-loving, jocular, witty, sweet, caring, genuine, and real......then there are those whom you serve, well, that are rude, hateful, demanding, ridiculing, ungrateful, unloving, unkind, proud, boastful, abusive, dirty minded, devisive, arrogant, self serving, condescending, fake, phony, and just plain vicious. And I am sorry to say this, albeit true, that believers and unbelievers alike, display all of these characteristics; rare is that person that displays Jesus Christ in the flesh in all circumstances. Serving man, at times, can be far more difficult than serving Christ, as the burden He puts on us is far easier than those burdens man expects of us.
ReplyDeleteI love how our LORD is doing a work in you, brother Rick, in being "real" with your posts; speaking from your heart. And I truly enjoy the responses from the ecclesia as they minister to me as well....the genuiness of all of your hearts bears a greater longing to know the Great and Glorious Wonders of God, our Father. I praise Him for all of you.
May all of our hearts be challenged this day and our hearts be forever encouraged in our faith in Jesus Christ, and Him alone.
Marie
Amen Marie
ReplyDeleteyour sister in Christ Jesus,
Cherie c.