Labels

I've been giving labels a lot of thought lately and I think it comes down to being judgemental.  How do we determine what "label" a person is?  Is it because that is what they call themselves?  I don't think that people will claim all the labels they are given.  I think that it is others being judgemental and labeling them.

Immigrant
Illegal
Conservative
Liberal
Righteous
Sinner
Forgiven

So what is your label? What label do you put on people? Aren't we all just children of God, sinners saved by grace? But you say some aren't saved, they're still running around sinning, those are the ones that we need to write laws against and protect our children from. First, just because your saved doesn't mean you stop sinning. Second, isn't that being judgemental?

Here are the labels I'll claim: conservative, liberal, sinner and forgiven.  My ancestors were immigrants and long before there was a legal or illegal status.  I know that some came over during the Irish potato famine so IF there had been an illegal status I believe that wouldn't have stopped them.  They were starving and were getting to America no matter the cost, legal or otherwise.   And I KNOW I can never claim to be righteous, I don't believe any human can!  Only God can use that label.

Yes, I consider myself both conservative and liberal.  I am personally conservative and publicly liberal.  That just made it clear as mud for you, didn't it?  I'll explain, I personally live my life by conservative principles.  I try to live by the "Big 10", meaning commandments.  I KNOW, however, that I fail on a daily basis.  This is where I'm publicly liberal, how I treat others.  Expecting others to live by my principles is just being judgemental.  How can I put my standards and principles on others when I can't even live up to them?  I am constantly reminded of Col 3:13, "... Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  Matt 6:14 even says that if you do not forgive you will not be forgiven (paraphrased). 

I am a sinner saved by grace. Because I am human, it's my nature to sin.  But also, as humans we tend to put measurements (judgements) on sin.  "Well, I'm not as bad as THAT guy!"  Sin is sin, whether you tell little fibs (not a very big one) or are a serial killer (big one).  It's the same to God.  That's where most people short circuit, they can't comprehend how that is the same.  His ways are not our ways.  Here's how I heard it explained once: Suppose God has all of the money in the world (a little more than Bill Gates or the Queen).  A little white lie is like stealing a dollar, serial murder is stealing a thousand dollars.  Both are stealing. 

I also think that God works on each of our sins individually.  For example, a few years ago, God convicted me that soap operas were my way of still gossiping.  They were just fictitious characters so it was "OK".  The sin of gossip was in my heart and God convicted me of that, so I haven't watched soaps since.  Now do I think that everyone who watches soap operas is sinning? NO of course not!  For that person soaps may merely be the entertainment they were intended to be.

When I see "THAT guy", I think, there but the grace of God go I.  I don't think there is enough time in my life or enough wrong could ever be done to me that I could possibly have as much to forgive as I've been forgiven.

So what is your label?  How about judgemental?  Ok, I'll claim that one too... but I'm working on it!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!