Consolation to Condemnation

I’d like to share with you a couple of things I’m learning from my study of the Book of Job.  Currently, Steve and I just finished chapter eight and I must say, there’s a lot of Job--and unfortunately, his friends--in me.

For those not familiar with this book, Job was an upright man that was considered by Satan to be tested for his faith in God.  God permitted this trial and the results are ones left for those of us who often wonder why He allows “good people” to suffer.  After losing all of his worldly possessions and his family, Job had three friends come by to commiserate with him.  And here’s where today’s blog lesson starts.

Job’s friends heard of his calamity and did what most try to do when disaster strikes:  they showed up.  However, unlike most in today’s time, these pals came to Job and sat with him for seven days.  Seven days!  No talking, no advice, no offers of help.  They just sat with him, speaking no words.  Goodness!  Can you imagine doing this for seven minutes?  I cannot but these buddies?  They did it for seven days!!  They shared with Job their presence when his grief must have surely been unbearable.

I wonder about them as they sat there.  Did they make lots of mental notes for the words that would soon come from their mouths?  Did they surreptitiously draw pictures in the sand to remind them to bring up such and such story so that when the time came, they wouldn’t leave anything out?  Oh, the memories they must have had!  Job had seven sons and three daughters and I am sure they left numerous impressions upon these beloved “adopted uncles” of theirs.

But here’s the point for today that I want to share with you:  Job’s friends went from consoling their crony to (gulp!) condemning him, his children, and his actions.  “If you had done this, Job,” or “If your son had not sinned so,” to “What did you do to God, Job?” and “If it was me, I would have…” blah blah blah.  Wow:  what an abrupt change of tone, huh?  One day they are sitting around crying with Job over these unfathomable losses and before too long, they are adding to his woes by berating him over what he had done wrong, what his kids did to bring on their untimely deaths, what sins he must repent over to get God’s blessings back, and so many more utterances that it still makes my head spin.  As if we could do anything to win God’s favor!  But that’s another story.  

I’ll close with this nugget of gold I received from portions of these first chapters of Job.  For you see, I am guilty of this type of behavior too.  When someone I care about has suffered a loss--whether a family member, a job, a friendship, or what have you--I am ashamed to admit it but I too often wonder what their part in this was to bring such sadness into their lives.  Maybe if they didn’t show so much cleavage in their Facebook pictures they could have attracted the right sort of man instead of that loser.  Perhaps if they had disciplined their kids better then they wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble.  If they were more spiritual instead of being so religious then maybe they wouldn’t have lost their position.  The money foolishly spent on “I-gotta-have-it-now” items would have come in handy for the phone bill.  The list could go on and on.

Instead of saying these things out loud, shouldn’t I be praying for my friends, for their needs, and for their spiritual growth?  Shouldn’t I be silent about this for at least seven days, like Job’s friends were, instead of opining my great wisdom and offering unasked for advice?  Yeah, I think so too.  Keeping one’s mouth shut and controlling the tongue before unsolicited “help” comes out would save this world a lot of grief rather than adding to it.  Spiritual duct tape, cover my mouth is my prayer today.

Dear Lord, for all the times I condemned instead of consoled, I humbly ask forgiveness.  Yes, most of it was in my mind but Lord?  I shouldn’t let such negativity invade a time of need when my beloved is hurting.  S/he doesn’t need my words, only my presence, my pats of understanding, my shared tears, my silence.  I’m sure the devil is giving enough grief to this soul without me adding to the guilt being offered by him.  Help me control my tongue and my thoughts, I ask, Lord so that I may be a blessing and not a blight.  In the name of Jesus Christ I ask these things:  amen.

Day Twenty-Nine

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

Ahh, how my heart fondly went into singing mode when Steve and I read these verses this morning.  “I am free from condemnation” echoed through my soul as I recalled singing this song at Unity Baptist Church with my fellow choir members.  That Old Red Hymnal sure had some good stuff in it, huh?

My joy was palpable back then, singing with the choir, praising God’s name, thanking Him for sending His Son Jesus to us, weeping sometimes over the shame we felt at the cost He had to pay for our sins.  Then, the victory shouted as we realized we are free indeed and no longer bound by the slavery that sin enchained us to.

I also was reminded of a former pastor’s explanation to a church member from a different church that we later attended.  Said preacher had fallen--and fallen hard--from his position but had blissfully gone on to restoration with Christ.  He was trying to explain this to this guy who was not ready to hear of such grace when great damage had been done.  “But you don’t understand,”  former pastor was saying, “I’m free.  I’m free!”  He nearly flapped his arms as though flying upwards as he tried in vain to explain his new liberty in Christ to the one who was not buying it.

Hmn.  How easy to side with the ones who have been wronged by the clergy, right?  I mean, of all people, they should know best what pricetag sin has on it.  Yet, when they mess up, when they too become human, why are we so adamant in not giving them the forgiveness and/or restoration that they deserve about as much as you and I do?  

Isn’t it great that in God’s eyes--regardless of our age, experience, skin color, height, weight, background, eye color, or what have you--that when He sees us, He sees His Son?  Isn’t it marvelous to know that nothing we can do will separate us from Him as long as we are in Christ Jesus?  Isn’t it astounding to think that after all we have done and will do that caused Jesus to have to come to the world to die for us that God still sees us with favor in His eyes?

Have you ever heard (or maybe even said) “what part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”  Maybe you went on to try to explain the meaning of this word to one who just didn’t seem to get that ‘no’ means not any, none, not at all.  So now then, as you re-read the above verses, do you see that there is no condemnation, not any condemnation, none, not at all--you are not condemned by our Great God!  You have been set free in Christ Jesus!  Only God could do this and He did--for you, for me, for past pastors, for the neighbor down the street, the classmate beside of you, the co-worker, the relative, and for the ones who should have known better.  Through Christ Jesus that righteous requirement of the law was made so that those of us who walk according to the Spirit might be free.  

Wow.

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord God:  Thank YOU!!  This forgiveness is overwhelming and I can hardly type because I am so full of rejoicing that You saved a wretch like me.  While man constantly tries to tear me down, while Satan continually whispers in my ears about how worthless I am, You instead did find me worthy and showed me a love like none I had ever seen before.  You set me free.

Wow.

My heart is full, as are my eyes, Lord.  Wash my soul with these tears, I ask, and remove the condemning spirit I too often feel towards others.  How dare I?  How dare I judge and refuse to forgive when so much of my sinful heart needed balming and restoration itself?  Oh Lord:  even now the song’s refrain is going through my head, reminding me once again that I am free from condemnation, for the Son hath made me free!  May I practice its words, its truths, and love as You love is my prayer today.  Amen!