Taking Cheap Shots From The Peanut Gallery

walk a mile in my shoes...

I know that this post is a complete waste of time. It's a waste of time in that the very people for which it is written will have more chance of being hit by lightning 6 times in 5 minutes, than taking even part of the post into consideration. That being said, I continue. Why? I don't know. Maybe I just need to gripe.

All too often, I get comments and e-mails that resemble this:

"Oh, Rand, you shouldn't be so negative..."

"Oh, Rand, you shouldn't be so judgmental..." (this one is my personal favorite... so blind are those who send me such nonsense, they can't even see that they themselves have just passed judgment on me)

"Oh, Rand, you need to be more loving/compassionate/patient/caring/(enter another sweetheart epithet here)..."

Does it happen that I am a bit too "glass-half-empty"? Surely, yes. Does it happen that I may be too quick to judgment? It's probably happened. Do I need to grow in love, longsuffering and compassion? Definitely yes.

So what's my problem?

My problem isn't with being chastised/corrected. My problem is with the hypocrites who try to dish it out. The Bible says:

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5)

Too often this passage is used by the unbelieveing to do away with any and all forms of judgment. This is foolishness since if one continues to read Matthew 7, they will notice that Jesus actually commands his people to judge sound judgment. So if this passage isn't a ban on all forms of judgment, what is it saying? Simple. It is saying: "be fair in your judgment." What do I mean by this? I mean before you judge a brother/sister, make sure that you are doing right yourself. Anything less makes you a hypocrite.

Let me give you an example. Some time ago, I expressed a desire for the Lord's judgment to fall on sodomites that were preparing a "gay pride parade". It was a stupid thing to say, and I knew it when I said it; unlike James and John, I know what spirit I am of (Luke 9:54-56). It was the words of a man who really didn't want to put up with the aggravation and hardship of bringing the Gospel at the said parade.

You want to take a guess as to who gave me the hardest time over my dumb statement? It was a person who not only had never given the Gospel out to sodomites at a "pride parade", but a person who would never do it in a million thousand years. Actually, come to think of it, the person in question probably wouldn't give out the Gospel at any event! Ever!

Are you following me? This is beyond the "whether the person is right or not", this has to do with "is the person in any position to rebuke anyone?" There are plenty of people who come to my blog who love to challenge me on my Christian way of life, as well as my doctrinal views. Plenty of Christians (or so-called Christians) even. My response to this is simple:

"You come and follow me for a week."

Is this a prideful statement? I am saying that my spiritual conversation is so great that I am above reproach. Nope. What I am saying is that while I am, for the most part, a poor excuse for a saint, most of my brothers and sisters-in-the Lord are worst off than I am; and that's truly pathetic.

Walk in my shoes for a week. Do what I do. See what I see. Hear what I hear. Perhaps, afterwards, you will be in a position to judge me. There are men and women in my life who have and are walking the righteous path, who have taken up their cross and are being conformed to the image of Christ. Men and women like Pearl, Brother John, Pastor Tim, Brother Pascal, Pastor Tom, Pastor Smith, Twinklemoose, Brother Pete, and Brother Eric; when such souls rebuke/question me, I pay attention. Why? Because they are credible. Pure and simple.

So, again, while I am sure this post is a complete waste of time, my request is simple: before judging/rebuking me, make sure you've done your homework; and that goes out to Christians, those who think they are Christians, as well as to unbelievers. I am allergic to fools and hypocrites.


Rand