“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Matthew 7:1-2
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage:
Phillipians 2:3-5
After Tuesday's election results, some of you are happy, others sad. Some feel that your views were vindicated, others feel that your hopes have been crushed.
It's hard for me to get away from election day and it's consequences working three blocks from the White House and working for an organization that provides assistance with elections around the world.. Yeah, it was a big deal, and my co-workers ran the entire gamut of emotions Wednesday morning.
What struck me as I witnessed this and led me back to these scripture references from Craig Groeschel's book "Dare to Drop the Pose" was the sanctimonious piety of some on the winning side and the anger and hostility from some on the losing side. It didn't strike me as much better than a two-year old taunting another child when he got candy and they didn't, or having a tantrum when he didn't get the candy.
God has not only shown us a better way, he has commanded us to take it!
As we watched news analysis Tuesday night, Brenda and I were reminded how civil discussion and debate are a lost art in our society, with people intensely focused on their selfish ambition and conceit, pushing to raise their status above others. God has shown us a better way!
We can all learn something from those we disagree with. Instead of focusing on our differences, God wants us to humbly reach out and seek common ground, establishing mutual understanding and respect. That is a must to have any sustained cooperation, where we can build something from everyone's different gifts that can be greater than we can be on our own.
Even two heroes of our faith, Peter and John, were jockeying for position in heaven, wanting to know how they could have the seat at the right hand of God. Self-interest is natural to our flesh, but the infilling of the Holy Spirit allows us to move beyond ourselves.
I encourage all of us to be intentional about approaching our relationships with the same mindset that Jesus had. Let's not get caught up in arguments about our differences. Let's take the initiative to find common ground and use that as a basis to do some good. For example, if you are gay and know someone who is not accepting of that, perhaps you can still work together to help feed needy hungry people in your area. Instead of being defined by issues, perhaps you can move into a relationship where you are both defined by your love for Christ. Let's not emulate the partisan rancor of politicians. Let's show them a better way.
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