Michael Harrison's e-devotion

Joy or sorrow.   Happy or sad.   Those seem to be the stance that most people take as they look at the people around them, but what I want to draw out attention to today is the fact that God is the one who ought to set our feelings as well as our faith. Too often we allow others to determine how we feel about ourselves and about life.   Take this a step further and notice that when we are not feeling good that taking our feelings out on others through our words or our actions is not a good thing.   When we aren’t happy with ourselves, it is easy to let that determine how we treat others. 1 Samuel 16:7   NLT … The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.   People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart .” Jesus told us that some people will try to remove a small sin from another person’s life before removing the big sin from their own life.   That’s a bad deal.   By focusing on others we are drawn away f...

John 3:17   NLT God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world , but to save the world through him. The case is settled when it applies to Jesus.   He became a friend of sinners so that he could deal with sin in the most proactive way.   He takes sin, forgives sin and forgets our sin.   That makes Jesus not a judge, no ones judge. Since Jesus is our example to follow.   Far too often when our lives are off center or not focused on Jesus we become a judge.   It may seem innocent, but easily we become judge, jury and jailor when we look at the faults of the people we deal with.   That cannot be good. If we deal with people the way Jesus dealt with them, acceptance becomes our calling card.   It is my desire to err on the side of grace.   Loving people means that acceptance is a big deal to us. James 2:13   NLT There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to other s.   But if you have bee...