We always say “don’t judge” because nobody’s perfect most especially when we hear judgmental words against us. By default, this is how we respond. But I believe God wants to take our response higher, where His ways and thoughts are.  If we have been judged because of our imperfection, one of the ways to see it without being disappointed is to see the one who judged us as another imperfect person, just like us. Before we know it, our hearts will be immersed in His love, enabled by the Holy Spirit to release mercy and grace.

One of my good friends posted in his Facebook wall, “When people call you a TRASH, God calls you HIS TREASURE.”  Yes and amen!  I totally, absolutely agree!  We are to renew our thinking according to His thoughts towards us.  There are too many voices, too many opinions about us and if we gear our ears to listen to whatever they say, it causes us to lose sight of our identity in Christ.  We are to be selective in who we listen to.  Always remember that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.  In the same way, fear comes by hearing words that aren’t in God’s vocabulary towards us.  We should not entertain thoughts hovering our heads that are not in His, and to be able to effectively rise above it is when we bombard our thoughts with His word day in and day out.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:2 NIV)

When I read that phrase again “When people call you a TRASH, God calls you His treasure.”, something deep within me was triggered to see more to it.  I believe that whoever sees us as trash aren’t perfect as well.  The eyes of my heart saw that those who did us wrong are His treasures, too.  God is not a respecter of persons.  What pleases Him is when we believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  Then, my heart was changed.

When we hear words that hurt our identity, what do we do?  How do we respond?  It is at times hard to put our heads above the water, but God’s grace is always sufficient.  Challenges are always opportunities for Him to show up and show Himself strong in and with us.  We get to release grace by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  We are to check our hearts and ask Him to create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. (Psalm 51:10).  It is not our role to convict.  Our role is to love and pray.  Our words and deeds reflect our hearts and if they don’t add value to those around us, perhaps we need to think twice before speaking and doing them.

May we be slow to respond and abound in love, reflecting who our Father is Who is love.

May we learn how Jesus treated those who mocked, ridiculed and condemned Him.  He said “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

We all have blind spots and we are here to cover each other in love. We are not responsible for other people’s actions let alone have control over them, but we are  to know how to respond to what has been done to us in ways that He has graced us to do.

We need to be reminded that our unrighteousness against the perfect God is always greater than the wrong deeds that imperfect people do to us. God’s forgiveness sealed by the Blood of Jesus Christ that we received and had set us free enables us to release the same to those who have wronged us.  Our ongoing gesture of receiving His mercy and grace equips us to be merciful and gracious to others. We cannot give what we do not have. We freely give what we freely receive and it is He Who will perfect that concerns us, taking us from faith to faith, from glory to glory.  It is not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit of God.

Our life’s adventure in discovering the things that He has freely given us is to change us to be conformed according to His image and likeness. As the Spirit of the Son is deposited in us, it is for us to be like Him.  He is with us to lead and guide us. He is in us to sanctify us.  He is upon us for His glorious use.

People positioned in front of us sometimes are used as chess pieces for us to exercise our faith to know Him more, to be more like Him and to make Him known.  We all know that there are no muscles developed without exercise.  As we journey in knowing and receiving His love for us, we get to participate in knowing how to release His kind of love into this “hungry for love” world.  Love always wins. We just need to align ourselves into His Spirit-breathed word that becomes the lamp upon our feet and the light unto our path.  Lamp and light both illumine the road where He leads us that we may SEE what He has positioned for us to see and act.

We are called to be peculiar, a cut above, and the One Who calls us empowers us. When He invites us to walk in the supernatural is because He is the SUPER to our natural.  He never leaves us nor forsakes us.  He never lets us do things in and of our own ability.  He promised to be with us always.  It is He Who is effectually at work in us, energizing and creating in us the power and ability both to will and to do for His own pleasure, delight and satisfaction.  When He calls us to love is because His Spirit has already been given to us, filling and flooding our hearts with His unconditional love that will overflow through us.  Our relationship with the Holy Spirit always bears the fruit of LOVE.  It is His fruit!  It’s not called the fruit of ______ (put your name in the blank).  It is called the fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT.

“Love makes it impossible to harm another, so love fulfills all that the law requires.”  (Romans 13:10 TPT)

 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You, for always opening the eyes of our hearts to see what You see.  Holy Spirit, teach us and guide us to walk aware of Your presence and Your power that we may not fulfill the lusts of our flesh, treating others contrary to what You have revealed to us.  Thank You for the continuous outpouring of Your mercy and grace and we may overflow and walk mercifully and graciously.  Thank You, Jesus, for demonstrating to us what it means to be filled by the Holy Spirit without measure.  As we posture ourselves to be recipients of Your unfailing love, we will walk in it as we enthrone You the Lord of our lives.  Amen!

 

Photo Credit:  Erik Quianzon