Our Rights
“So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” ~Romans 14:13
“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.” ~Eph. 5:25-30
I have the right to do so many things; personal rights, rights granted me by the government, rights granted me by God. What happens though when doing something that I have the right to do causes another to stumble?
Recently while in a small prayer group a friend of mine asked for prayer about a situation in his marriage. The incident seemed trivial to him and probably would to others too. It was such a small thing, and he had every right to do it. To his wife, however, the incident was far from small. This incident could prove a stumbling block to their marriage for years to come.
In today’s society, everyone seems caught up in standing up for their rights. We have forgotten that we are not called to stand up for ourselves, but to look out for others. Whether it is another believer or someone even closer to us, we have a responsibility to love them and think of how our actions affect them. So, instead of standing up for our rights, maybe we need to start showing deference and love.
The Least of These
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’” ~ Matthew 25:35-36
I want to take a slight departure from what I have been writing up to this point. This week isn’t so much a devotion as a reflection. My grandmother passed away yesterday. For the past 2 ½ years she has been living in our home. Her health was poor, and she needed constant care and companionship. I did not work outside of the home, so I was able to be there for her. My sister is an advanced CNA, so she could offer advice whenever I needed it.
When I was little, my mother, siblings, and I moved in with my grandparents. Grandpa was always kind and jovial. Grandma, on the other hand, was usually grumpy. As a child, I just accepted that fact; it’s just who she was. I never stopped to examine that. As an adult, I began to understand things a little more. Now, at the age of 47, I understand them a lot more. Grandma was 49 when we moved in, lock, stock, and barrel. I was 9, and my youngest sibling wasn’t quite a year old. I love each of my children, but I can’t imagine starting over at this stage in my life. Essentially, that’s exactly what we were asking her to do. She was someone who prided herself on her neat, tidy home. We were like a tornado coming in. And like a tornado, we did little to contribute to the clean-up. Grandma had a very physically demanding job; then she would turn around and do most of the housework too. At a time in her life when she should have been able to take it easy and enjoy having some time alone with her husband, she was cleaning up after, and dealing with a whole new family.
So, when the time came that she needed someone, I felt I couldn’t say no. I got only a small taste of what she went through. While she devoted almost twenty years to us, I spent only 2 ½ years taking care of her. It was hardly a fair trade, but she didn’t expect it, she never asked for it. Grumpy or no, she loved us, and she wouldn’t have turned us away. I wanted to show her that I loved her, that I understood, and I wanted to show my children what it meant to truly care.
Some of the last words that Grandma spoke were prayers for my children. I’ll never forget that. Thank you, I love you Grandma, and I’ll miss you.
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’” ~ Matthew 25:35-36
I want to take a slight departure from what I have been writing up to this point. This week isn’t so much a devotion as a reflection. My grandmother passed away yesterday. For the past 2 ½ years she has been living in our home. Her health was poor, and she needed constant care and companionship. I did not work outside of the home, so I was able to be there for her. My sister is an advanced CNA, so she could offer advice whenever I needed it.
When I was little, my mother, siblings, and I moved in with my grandparents. Grandpa was always kind and jovial. Grandma, on the other hand, was usually grumpy. As a child, I just accepted that fact; it’s just who she was. I never stopped to examine that. As an adult, I began to understand things a little more. Now, at the age of 47, I understand them a lot more. Grandma was 49 when we moved in, lock, stock, and barrel. I was 9, and my youngest sibling wasn’t quite a year old. I love each of my children, but I can’t imagine starting over at this stage in my life. Essentially, that’s exactly what we were asking her to do. She was someone who prided herself on her neat, tidy home. We were like a tornado coming in. And like a tornado, we did little to contribute to the clean-up. Grandma had a very physically demanding job; then she would turn around and do most of the housework too. At a time in her life when she should have been able to take it easy and enjoy having some time alone with her husband, she was cleaning up after, and dealing with a whole new family.
So, when the time came that she needed someone, I felt I couldn’t say no. I got only a small taste of what she went through. While she devoted almost twenty years to us, I spent only 2 ½ years taking care of her. It was hardly a fair trade, but she didn’t expect it, she never asked for it. Grumpy or no, she loved us, and she wouldn’t have turned us away. I wanted to show her that I loved her, that I understood, and I wanted to show my children what it meant to truly care.
Some of the last words that Grandma spoke were prayers for my children. I’ll never forget that. Thank you, I love you Grandma, and I’ll miss you.
Don't Compare Yourself to Others
“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” ~ Galatians 6:4-6 I am not an organized person. People who know me well are not surprised by this declaration. I’m a big picture kind of a person, little details elude me. It took me years to realize this about myself. It’s easy for me to get discouraged when I look at neat, tidy, organized people and compare myself with them. However, scripture tells us not to do that. We aren’t to worry about how our work measures up to someone else’s; we simply need to do our best. Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Don’t compare yourself to others. Do your job well and for God’s glory! |