It hasn't happened in a while which I was grateful for but something happened yesterday that upset both my husband and myself, but it's happened afterwards that I really want to share. A man in one of the Christian communities I belong to here on google approached me on one of my post with "hey sexy how are you?" this part actually happens often so I wasn't at first upset at this; I just thanked him for his compliment and told him I was married. This is my typical response to this kind of thing and usually it is enough that they either apologize and we can have occasional public conversations about Christ after this, or they disappear completely. Yesterday this was not the case.
After my first interaction with this person I went to their page and looked at some of their post. They had quite a few post that you would expect on a Christian's page, like bible verse and post meant to encourage us in times of trouble. After seeing that I figured he would probably be one of the ones that apologized and respected my marriage. Instead though, he responded by trying to entice me, saying that it was okay for me to do something wrong once or twice in my life. I was shocked at this response from someone who appeared to be a Christian! I quickly responded to him that what he was trying wasn't working and blocked him. What I didn't know was that my husband had seen what this man said to me. I had left my phone at home yesterday by accident and the messages I was getting from this man popped up while my husband was home on break. Poor Nick could see nothing I said and only this man's approach to me. Nick then spent the rest of his evening at work worrying about this guy bothering me, wondering what else he may have said. My husband trusted me to handle it though, and resisted the temptation to log into my phone and give that guy a 'talking to,' though to be honest I probably wouldn't have been upset at him if he had.
The situation felt resolved as far as I am concerned, my husband and I talked about what happened, and he seemed relieved when I brought it up before he did and I informed him of what all was said on my part. But ever since yesterday I have had a few verses that seem to be replaying in my mind, one is a line scripture that says 'A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.' Proverbs 29:5, the second is 1 John 3:4 'Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.' And the last one is found in Matthew, in the passage Jesus is speaking of the children there with Him, but I have always felt that it applied more broadly, to us as the children of His Father, it says ' 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.' (Matthew 18:6) At first these thoughts, these scriptures that played in mind felt like they were condemning this man, that he was revealed as a wolf in sheep's clothing. And maybe that is still true, maybe he was a wolf, but I can't really say.
Then something else happened yesterday after this and it has had a big effect on my heart. When I got home after work and did some chores around the house I sat down to watch a movie while I folded laundry. It was a Christian film I had never seen before called "The Father's Love" in it a woman is lead into an adulterous affair with a man who she had believed to be single and to be her "Mr. Right." During the movie she comes to the Lord and tries to break off the relationship, but gives into sin again. Eventually though, she does succeed in breaking it off, and moving forward in her relationship with the Lord and healing. The thing that has really been effecting me about the movie is that this woman choose to forgive the man who enticed her. All those same verses that I was thinking of and using to look down my nose at this guy because he had try to temp me and it mad me could be applied to the man who did lead her astray, and she forgave him. I looked into my heart and was ashamed.
When I heard the sermon in the movie about forgiveness, and I saw the woman's choice to forgive I cried. It didn't hit me right away why I was crying, at first I thought it was because it was just such a beautiful story, such a beautiful lesson! But as I thought more about this I came to realize that I was crying because there was not forgiveness in my heart for this man who tried to entice me. Instead pride had risen up in my heart and I wrote him off as a creep, judging him without knowing him and I considered him condemned from the verses that played in my mind. It was an awful thought and I'm sorry that I had it. I know without a doubt what he did was wrong, it wasn't behavior that a Christian man should do, but I cannot condemn him either, I have dirt on my hands too. Right now I am seeking our Father to help me forgive and to release me from the pride that was in my heart, to help me to not judge and condemn others, but to instead pray for them. I'm far from perfect, and this incident has reminded me how well we can be blinded from our sin, making me feel the need of my Savior that much more. I hope somehow this touched or encouraged someone, that it makes people think twice before looking down on someone else, even if what they are doing is wrong. Be blessed.
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Galatians 6:3
For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
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