Category: Good Life Journal

Scripture:

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high.

I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother-like a weaned child is my soul within me–O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore. Ps 131:1-3

 

Observation:

I think this passage is significant because it makes me wonder; it makes me think. What is the Psalmist saying? What is behind his prayerful declaration? Why is the Psalmist “drawing down” his heart-to quiet himself? Is it to reduce the clamor and being still to hear His Whisper?

 

Application:

I get busy doing “stuff.” I can even be doing “Bible stuff” or “church stuff”-more often than not I am doing “stuff stuff”-hardly a bit that I can attribute to “godly stuff” or even “good stuff.” Granted if I make merciful conclusions about myself most of the “stuff” I do I consider benign or harmless.

 It used to be that I practiced self-condemnation about this “stuff.” I got down on myself; felt like I disappointed God-He expects soooo much and I give so little. How could I possibly please Him?

 Then I found out, was taught, came to a biblical knowledge and conviction about the Doctrine of Justification and its sister Sanctification–changed my life and my walk in the comfort of the Gospel.

I sort of understand the Psalmist now. The analogy I think of is baseball. As a coach it is “play within your means, press beyond them only a little bit each time. Take what is given and use it profitably.” Another sports analogy is golf: Swing easy-it goes straighter and further. Swing hard and it is taking a turn either to the left or right-but for sure it is not going where you want it to go. The Psalmist is sort of saying the same thing: I am quieting my soul to see You alone O God. I am not thinking of the potential of the harvest field, I am not thinking of the tasks before me, I am not thinking of the conflicts and opposition of the various trials and successes/opportunities of life. I am quieting my soul, my mind, my heart-just like a child in the arms of its parent-waiting on You O Lord.

 Waiting quietly is one of the hardest, most difficult, practices/disciplines a Christian can engage in-maybe more so because I am a baby boomer American. Still-I practice. I quiet my soul. I wait for His Whisper….

 

Prayer:

Oh, God: I wait upon You. That’s a laugh! Of course I want to say that but the Holy Chuckle is that You see that I don’t-or if I do, I do it haphazardly and totally inconsistently. Still my desire is for You. My desire is to succeed at this-just like I want to succeed at the other disciplines. Help me Lord Jesus to quiet my heart everywhere I walk; at home fixing dinner, talking with my wife and children, talking with friends and acquaintances. As I read make me wonder in awesome wonder at how You allow connections with Your thoughts. In Your word is Life! I want to see the pulsating heart of God every time I open Your Word. AMEN.

Scripture:

Psalm 130:4-6 – But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries for long for the dawn, yes more than sentries long for the dawn.

Observation:

The Psalmist recognizes that he is a sinner with no way out except for the forgiveness of God. Because of God’s grace the psalmist, who knows he deserves judgement, learns to fear God. The psalmist relies on God and derives his hope from God’s word. In response the psalmist longs greatly for the Lord.

Application:

The psalmist laid out the straight Gospel of Jesus that I must remember and believe every day, every decision. God is our creator and a holy God to whom we are accountable. I am a sinner, who turned my back on God and was lost dead in my own sin with no way out on my own. Through His love and mercy, God provided a savior in Jesus in who I place my faith and hope. Every time you hear the Gospel it demands a response! I must never trivialize, get tired or think I am beyond the gospel. I should choose to respond with praise, adoration and reverence for the one true living God. How will you respond?

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your love, grace and salvation. Let me never get over your gospel and share the hope that it brings to the world. May I continue to follow you and grow in my relationship with you.

Scripture:

Psalm 126:1-3
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

Observation:

The fortunes of Israel were restored by God through deliverance. The people began to dream again. When people dream, they also laugh, praise, and testify to God’s goodness.

Application:

Am I dreaming anymore? I have been delivered by the Lord but it is easy to stop dreaming. I can forget and get stuck in the day to day. I am convicted by this passage. Dreaming about the future is only possible when my eyes get above my day to day circumstances and I focus on what could be, versus what already is. So how do I get my eyes and mind on the future? The same way Israel did. Remember my deliverance.

The gospel gives me hope for tomorrow and sets my gaze on eternity. My life becomes about a kingdom that will never fade. A relationship that will never be taken away from me. A heavenly home that will last for all eternity. When my eyes and heart are set on eternity, I am free to dream. I am free to laugh, to shout with joy and to testify of God’s goodness.

If I am not laughing, shouting and testifying, I am not focused on the right thing. Sure, things can get tough and this world is still dark. But I have eternity in my heart. I have been given the mind of Christ. I can’t afford to waste my days void of dreams, laughs, smiles, and testifying. If I don’t, who will?

Prayer:

Getting stuck in survival mode, maintaining mode, managing mode is normal. Father, remind me that I need my eyes to be set on your deliverance. May you remind me, even when I choose to focus on other things, that eternity is mine and I am free to laugh, shout and testify. You are good. Thank you for your deliverance.

Scripture:

Psalm 124:1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
    let Israel now say—

 Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

 Observation:

 It takes the psalmist little time to reveal his purpose for this song. He is celebrating the deliverance of God from his enemies. He recognizes that God didn’t assist in the deliverance, He was the only reason for the deliverance!

 Application:

 I must remember that every victory in my life is a result of the power, presence and performance of God. He is the only reason that I succeed. He is the only reason I don’t receive judgment every time I fall short. He is the only reason I am loved. He is the only reason I exist.

 Few things…

 -Pressure and struggle is real. David faced them. Israel faced them. I will face them.

-When pressure comes, I have one place to run.

-The one I run to is able. He made heaven and earth and everything in it.

 Prayer:

Lord, you are my refuge, my help in trouble, my rescuer. May I not be foolish enough to believe that I can figure it out on my own. May every situation lead me closer to a full reliance upon you.

Scripture:

Psalm 122:1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

Observation:

David was excited to be going to Jerusalem to worship God. He was happy to be going together with other believers to a house of worship. When you are excited about going someplace you anticipate having a good time and go with a sense of enthusiasm looking forward to everything that place has to offer. When you dread going somewhere, you go with a sense of indifference and can be unresponsive.

Application:

This is a reminder that I should not forget the little things about having the privilege to worship God. I take it for granted how lucky we are in the US to be able to worship God in public spaces, public places. I should be glad each day for the opportunity to worship him in churches, buildings or on the beach and not be afraid of life threatening repercussions for doing so.    

It is a reminder that I don’t have to worship God, I am called to worship him and it is my choice to go.  I am called to worship with other believers not just by myself.  It is an open expression. We are all called to worship in community. Not just together but together in His house, a place of worship, where the appropriate thing to do is worship and honor Him. There is a sense of belonging, bonding and fellowship when we worship together. We are brought together for one purpose and that provides encouragement, reassurance and accountability to other believers.    

Prayer: 

It is easy to take the small things for granted. Thank you for allowing us to worship you as believers in a cafetorium in a small public school surrounded by the homes of believers and non-believers. Let us be a light that reflects your glory in our community that brings people together to worship you. 

Scripture:

Psalm 120

1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2 Deliver me, O Lord,

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Observation:

The author of these psalms is in “distress”.
He needs “help”.
This is a person clearly worried about something.
Things are not going well.
Circumstances of his life are not as he would want them to be.
What is his response to this?
“Call to the Lord” and “lift up my eyes”
Why?
“He answers me” and “help comes from the Lord”

Application:

The author here gives a very clear application to his worries.
But it’s an application that in the “real world” doesn’t always satisfy.
The author says “call to the Lord”.
But what if I don’t want to “call the Lord”?!
I don’t want to call the Lord, I want to call Triple A!
I want to call someone who will just come to me and fix my problem!
Oh … and then go away … like the AAA guy.
God’s not that kind of God, though.
He’s not interested in fixing and going away.
He wants to be with me always.
He wants relationship.
There’s a reason I need to always “call upon the lord” and always “lift my eyes up” to Him.
This is called … Worship!
In worship I find “deliverance”.
In worship I find “help”.
Of the external circumstances that are worrying me?
No, but of the internal circumstances of my heart.
In fact, I’m not so sure I can “worry” and “worship” at the same time.
They’re pretty similar if you think about it.
What is “Worry”? … a fixed, focused attention on one thing.
What is “Worship”? … a fixed, focused attention on one thing.
If I am “worrying”, it may be an indicator I am worshipping … the wrong thing.
This makes me realize why Jesus gave us a very clear and simple 3 word command regarding it:
“Do not Worry”.

Prayer:

Thank you Father that you are always there for me to “call out to” and “lift my eyes” to.
Thank you that you “deliver me” and “help” me where I need it most, in my heart and mind.
Help me Holy Spirit to always remember you when I’m tempted to drift into worry about my external circumstances.
Help me worship you!
In Jesus name!
Amen !

Scripture:

Philemon 1:8-9 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—

Observation:

Paul, though having the authority to command the church to action, instead chooses to compel them to action through a heartfelt plea.

Application:

This is a great leadership lesson in regards to church authority. Every day I have opportunities to speak into the congregation’s life. Every weekend I have the chance to lead the congregation through the Word. God has given me the authority to command them to action. I have also earned the right through serving as their pastor. However, it is best, and most effective to lead with the heart and not the hand. Just as Paul cares for the congregation, so do I. He longs to be with them and to share life with them. This is a great example to follow.

A few things…

-Just because a leader has the authority to command doesn’t mean he should always use it.

-A heartfelt plea in love is sometimes more powerful and effective than a stern command in authority.

-Loving people is a powerful force in leadership. It is also the most important commandment I have been given by Jesus. I must choose to love first before I choose to lead. May my leadership come first from love.

Prayer:

Thank you for this powerful reminder and leadership lesson. May I love people and the whole church well today. May my leading come from this love.

Scripture:

“The saying is trustworthy and I want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the Law for they are unprofitable and worthless.” Titus 3:8-9

 

Observation:

A very reasonable pair of statements. But I think I can see where I could run off the rails from the rest of the Scriptures if all I did was to adhere to these instructions.

 

Application:

There is a theological term somewhere that declares the Bible is the Word of God as a whole-Scripture doesn’t argue with itself or will present contrary directives or principles. For example, the Doctrine of Election: Scripture says “Man: Choose” in some places and “God chooses” in others. Because both are stated or implied in Scripture, both are true-neither are exclusive of each other and neither can be explained away to only one principle through mental and verbal gymnastics.

 Here is another sort of place. Devote yourself to good works; don’t argue about the Bible and theology. Doesn’t quite say that but I have found some over the years that embrace this fiercely. “What I believe is mine alone-the Bible says “devote myself to good works” and that is what I am going to do. What I believe isn’t up for me to discuss.”

 What it has devolved to is just “doing good works” for some folks. But is that all the Holy Spirit wants us to do?

 The answer I think is “no” but there is a “yes” in there as well. I can succumb to trusting in good works and deceiving myself. I can also succumb to not doing good works and end up just as deceived.

 Scripture is adamant about learning and fortifying ourselves about and with the Scriptures. The Scriptures imply reading and learning all of our lives, simply because there is so much of God to learn about. We should let the scriptures be “more desired than gold” even a lot of fine gold (Ps 19:10). The Word of God and its study makes us wise, knowledgeable, and discerning-able to see things to avoid from a distance and to provide wisdom to men.

But…if we let it stop at the desk we are not well rounded men of God…neither if we stop at the broom, hammer, or chain fence puller. Our hands (and other parts of our body) are meant to do the works that He has appointed us to do-parallel with the above paragraph about studying. While it may be singularly focused for a season, work and study/study and work are two halves of the Whole. So sweat and effort is also a part of being a Christian. I am an older and fatter guy now and the body isn’t what it used to be. But works are a broad area to play in. Service to my wife is works. Denying myself in favor of another are works. Making an effort to call, encourage, write notes, and discern a need, etc. are good works.

 Lastly: Avoid discussing (arguing) those things that Paul mentions in Verse 9. But do yourself a favor and figure out why you should avoid them from a trusted, mature, wise man of God in your midst.

Prayer:

God: You know that I have enjoyed a good argument now and then. And then, You illuminated my heart and mind to see the folly of my ways. Flowery, huh? Facts are that You showed that I was just banging my head against the wall, feeding my own ego, arguing just to get the thrill of the kill-and not accomplishing a darn thing towards Your Kingdom. Thank you for letting me see that and placing that Biblical reasoning firmly in the frame of the Gospel. AMEN.

Scripture:

Titus 2:11-14 – For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Observation:

A response of love for the grace of God clearly shows that a gospel centered life is one that is self-controlled, upright, godly and zealous for good works. These changed behaviors are brought about by a love and desire for Christ from within. Godliness should not be something to be modeled on occasion but rather a hallmark of Christian living.

Application:

I must remember the love and grace God has for me each and every day! My life needs to be lived as a response to honor Jesus. This change can only occur from a desire for Jesus within my heart. As I follow Jesus and allow more of Him and less of me, the Spirit will guide godly behavior and works.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for your love, grace and salvation. Let me never get over your gospel and live my life as one of godliness to honor and serve you rather than the things of this world.

Scripture:

Titus 1:9
“ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Observation:

In Titus chapter 1 the author lays out the qualifications of those who are in church leadership. Included within this are not only a life that is being lived above reproach but also the directive to be solid in doctrine and a learner of the Scriptures. In this sense sound doctrine is guarded by those who are followers of Jesus. The imperative in Titus is that leaders within the church are not only able to teach doctrine to others but also to guard from those who seek to sway people away from the belief of the Scriptures.

Application:

In my life I need to be a learner. Doctrine is not something that I just have or possess but it comes from learning and from instructing in others. Am I surrounding myself with people who I can learn from? Am I active in the word every day allowing God to refine my doctrine? It is also not enough to simply have the head knowledge of doctrine without truly walking it out in faith. I believe that the true test of my doctrine may not be if I can answer the test questions properly (although that is important) but, if I have sound doctrine then it will be reflected in the life that I live. Today, I want to be a learner of God’s Word and a doer of what I learn.

Prayer:

Thank You Jesus that you through You we can have relationship to God. That I can be a person of the Word because Your Holy Spirit is revealing truth to me. Help me as I live today to not only have sound doctrine in my head but also give me the faith to walk it out in my life. Amen.

Scripture:

2 Tim 3:5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Observation:

Paul is warning Timothy of the difficult times ahead of him and provides a lengthy list of behaviors in people that he will run into during his ministry. The list that Paul uses to describe people is a long list and not flattering. He is warning Timothy to be careful who he associates with as he continues his ministry. Unfortunately, Paul is describing people who call themselves believers who have the appearance of godliness. He is not describing non-Christians. The directive is to avoid these people.

Application:

Remember what viewpoint I need to build a foundation. The world will always have a desire for money, wealth, will be proud and arrogant, lovers of self, etc. as Paul details. It is when I let the world’s views, ideas and measuring stick into my life, my home and the church that I have a problem. The list that Paul describes is a list of the world’s influences on the church. I must remember that God’s word is sufficient and should be the tool to teach and direct me and others.

Be careful who I allow to influence me. It is easy to follow the crowd. No one in the crowd will judge you while you are in the crowd. Only by stepping out and away from the crowd can I see if the crowd is going in the right direction.

Paul warns Timothy to “avoid these people”. What was true for Timothy is true for me. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, allowing deceitful people into my life will harm me. Allowing to be influenced and even associated with people that don’t walk and talk the truth harms my witness, my integrity and my ability to do all God wants me to do.

Prayer:

Provide me with the wisdom to discern. Provide me with the strength to identify and stand up to the ungodly behavior from some in the church today. Let me stay true to your word and allow others to see in me the truth.

Scripture:

2 Tim 2

3 Share in suffering …

9 … I am suffering…

10 …I endure everything … that they also may obtain the salvation …

11 The saying is trustworthy …

12 “if we endure, we will also reign with him”

24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness.

God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

26 and they may come to their senses …

 

Observation:

Paul is getting into the heart of his final instructions to his most trusted servant.

And what are his instructions? “Share in suffering”.

And, “Oh, by the way, I’m not asking you to do anything I am not doing myself! Because … I am suffering.”

But don’t suffer just for sufferings sake, there is a greater purpose:

“that the people you are enduring with may also obtain salvation”.

And there also happens to be a greatest purpose beyond the greater purpose:

we will “reign with Christ forever”.

 

Application:

So what may this life of shared suffering look like?

First, Being “kind to everyone”. And this “everyone” includes the people that it is hard to be kind to. It’s the people that want to “quarrel” and engage in conflict.

It’s easy for me to be kind to people who are kind to me.

Will I be kind to people who are not kind to me?

Second, I must live an instructive life.  This is a life bigger than my wants and needs.

Is my life pointing to something beyond myself? Am I teaching people around me what life is about? And when I am opposed, can I correct those opponents gently?

This, by the way, is not about seeking out opponents to tell them how wrong they are!

This is gently correcting those people who oppose me.

Finally, I must “patiently endure evil”. These are words I would never write myself. It’s hard for me to imagine giving my child this advice. Yet, here’s Paul telling it to Timothy. This seems like more than the Spirit’s wisdom. This seems like life’s experience coming from a grandfather … “Yeah, you’re going to see a lot of evil, my advice is endure it patiently.”

And what’s most fascinating about a life like this is, will the goal actually be achieved?

Paul’s answer is, “Perhaps” … and “God may”.

Paul lives this incredible life “that they may obtain salvation”!

Will they? “Perhaps” … Who knows?! … They “may come to their senses”.

In others words, we are not in control of what God does and we certainly are not in control of others around us either.

I can only control myself.

And I must:

-Be kind to everyone.

-Live instructively.

-Correct gently.

But this is trustworthy:

“I will reign with Christ”!

Prayer:

Father I ask you to empower me in kindness, obedience, and gentleness. May I see the kingdom more than everything else. 

Scripture :

2 Timothy 1:12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 

Observation:

Paul, though imprisoned and treated as a criminal, shares that his conscience is clear and that he isn’t ashamed. How? How can he have a clear conscience when everyone else is condemning him? He tells us. He knows who he believes in and is convinced that what has been entrusted to him will be guarded until the day of the Lord. 

Application:

It’s hard to do the right thing, especially when the environment around you does/believes the opposite. I am in a city today that is over 90% non-believer/unchurched. Being a Christian in many parts of Canada is considered silly and small minded. The men and women I will be a part of assessing today feel a calling to be a part of the great commission in this tough/cold spiritual climate. So how do they stand strong when many around them ridicule them and shame them. 

Two things:

-Know who you believe in. Know who you live for in the first place. Know why you are living and doing life the way you are doing it. Know why you take risks, live uniquely and share the gospel with your life and actions. Jesus is our all in all. 

-Be sure, that no matter what, your security is found in Christ. No one can take away the Spirit He placed in you or revoke the call to follow Jesus. When the whole world turns against you, rest in the grip of Jesus. He is able to hold us secure in even the most difficult of environments. 

Prayer:

I need this word today. Father, thank you for reminding me and revealing your love and security to me again. May I stand secure, regardless of my surroundings.

Scripture:

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.” 1st Tim 6:20

Observation:  

When I read the full chapter 6, Paul is almost pleading with Timothy (“O Timothy…).  There is a lot to remember and apply as a disciple.  It reads like Paul understands that I can be quickly distracted towards irrelevant things and away from a true worshipful delight of our Savior.

Application:  

 1st Timothy 6 is a strong chapter.  As I have written before, Paul has this knack to get to the point quickly and produce a list of things to do and pay attention to.  Timmy is at least a 2nd generation Christian (if not a 3rd).  He became a believer due to the testimony of his mother Lois and grandmother Eunice.  He is now getting into being a pastor and leading congregations.  So what is Paul telling him?  Be strong in doctrine, look out for deviations of the Truth—but in particular “Pay attention to your heart; Pay attention to your soul.”  How?

I wrote last week about Colossians 3:1 “If then you have been raised with Christ…” 1st Tim 3:20 is a continuation of that thought.  The operative concept here is to think; consider; contemplate; meditate; wonder, envision, imagine, visualize, ponder, reflect, deliberate, converse, and any other synonym that can be thought of.  [Side note and not meant to condemn: How often when I am around other men do I not talk about the Word of God but gravitate quickly to last night’s scores?  I am guilty of the second often.  When I am asked “how are you doing?” it is not very often I reply “I am treasuring what I read in 3rd Hezekiah 3:3 this morning.  It is so rich…”]

How much do I even consciously consider guarding the deposit entrusted to me?  What does that even look like?  How would I go about “guarding?”  Here is a hard question that just came to me: “What do I guard?”

If the only answer that I can think of is “my salvation” (a Sunday School answer) then I think I am missing the mark.  I can’t guard my salvation because it is a gift of God-I cannot appropriate it, grab it, hold on to it, or anything like that.  So what then do I guard?

This is an open ended question.  I can think of a few things.  But this is something that I can take away from this scripture reference-if I am not thinking about this frequently (if not constantly) then I am without doubt missing the mark.

Prayer:  

Lord God: If I don’t delight in You and that in all my ways then I think I can be quickly adrift.  All the things that You wrote to Timmy I can get bogged down in and lose sight of You.  I remember these exhortations: Ps 1:2 “…but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.”; Ps 35:27 “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore: “Great is the Lord who delights in the welfare of his servant.”; and goodness so many parts of Ps 119.

You, O God, remind us that no matter what we lay our hands and hearts to, we are to always delight in You.  How can I guard my heart?  How can I guard the deposit entrusted to me?  How can I always treasure Your precious Gift?  Delight!!  AMEN.

Scripture:

1 Timothy 5:24-25 – Remember, the sins of some people are obvious leading them to certain judgement. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. In the same way, good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

Observation:

Paul uses these two verses to advise Timothy that God is all knowing, righteous and He is the ultimate judge. We should be careful not to condemn people for a sin that is revealed, as we all have sin that God knows. Also, we need to be careful not to rank believers on their outward appearance of service as many do things for family or others that may unfortunately go unnoticed accept by God.

Application:

God is all knowing, all powerful righteous loving Father. God and God alone is the only one holy and without sin qualified to pass judgement. Jesus reminds the Pharisees of everyone’s sin when a woman was caught in adultery in John 8:7. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” As we are all sinners, God loved us so much that He has provided us salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins. I must remember the Gospel daily and not look at someone else’s sin as worse than my own. Any service I do should be from the power of the Spirit working inside my heart and never have a force ranking or comparative value relative to other believer’s good deeds.

Prayer:

Father,
Thank you for the truth in your word and sending Jesus to save me from my sin. Help me not be one who judges but one who loves, encourages and shares with others.