One of the imperfect Christians favorite stories is about the lion and the gorilla. It reminds me of how most Christians walk through life. The blog that tells that story is found at this link for all those interested: http://blogwieser.blogspot.com/2012/08/things-arent-always-what-they-seem.html
The imperfect Christian learned a valuable lesson in differentiating the purpose of being a judge, and being an inspector. The Word says we are called to be inspectors of the fruit. You can tell a tree by the fruit it bears. (Matthew 12:33)
It is true you can tell a tree by the fruit that IT bears. You inspect it, and you see what it is. To pass judgment on that you is not your business, especially if it's not your tree. The imperfect Christian witnessed on a few occasions people trying to pass judgment on others, when they have not yet pulled the beam from their own eyes. Funny how a church goer will claim to be a Christian, and live like a devil huh? Talk about the law, and then break it themselves on a daily basis, but yet they are quick to judge others as they transgress. My point is people talk about everything from government to religion, and never attempt to make a difference, they only talk!
Here's a scenario (a true story) for you:
About two years ago the imperfect Christian was sitting with his window's down on an overcast, but muggy Sunday afternoon, when a white BMW SUV (an x5) pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store where his wife was shopping. A maturing White (or for the sake of the imperfect Christian's PC 'politically correct' baby girl) a Caucasian male with white hair, that appeared to be in his mid 50's stepped out of the BMW. The white haired man was a tall well groomed man about 6'4" and a little over 200lbs. The man walked into the store, and was in the store briefly before returning to the luxury SUV.
Upon his return he spoke with the young woman that he had left in the SUV, and appeared to be in her mid 20's. He said what he needed to and then started back toward the store.
The young woman, had long brown hair, and appeared to be a tan Caucasian woman, but like the imperfect Christian's baby girl she could have easily had mixed ethnicity. To give you a better feel on the description of the two, he looked like a better looking version of Penn State's Peter Sandusky, and she looked like, a not quite as fit or quite as good looking, US Olympic Track star, Lolo Jones.
Suddenly as if he had forgotten something the white haired man had an abrupt change of heart and direction, and once again retreated back to the x5, and motioned for the young lady inside to get out. The young woman stepped out of the SUV and wore an expression that manifested a lack of interest for going into the store. She was also a tall one, appearing to stand at nearly 6' tall. She stood next to the SUV, by the open door, as the man once again walked away. She got out with a lap dog, and then cautiously, expressed her disinterest verbally about in going into the store. He stopped long enough to boldly ask her to go into the store and pay for what he needed. She again expressed her disinterest of going into the store by explaining that she did not want to leave the dog in the car, and did not want to go in. He then cursed her like she had just spit in his face and continued his heavy footed march back into the store. She was in near tears, as he stormed off. She glanced over to see the imperfect Christian with his daughter in the back seat of their car with her window up. The imperfect Christian had rolled his window up as well, when the man had started yelling out obscenities at the younger woman. The imperfect Christian had rolled up all the windows, so his daughter couldn't hear the man, or prayed she couldn't hear him clearly enough to make out the words, and expressed his displeasure by sending an apathetic look to the white haired man, and a sympathetic look at the young woman.
After the smoke had cleared, and the fire had seemed to die down a bit, the white haired man returned to his SUV about 10 minutes later and the imperfect Christian had again, for the sake of breathing, rolled down his car windows. The imperfect Christian had tolerated the man speaking like he did going into the store, and figured it was his turn to be tolerated on their exit. The imperfect Christian said sweetly in his deep Southern drawl, to his baby girl, "Don't ever let a man talk to you that way, or put his hands on you to harm you in anyway, OK?" She replied in her sweet little, proper voice, "Yes Daddy."
The imperfect Christian's wife came out a just behind the white haired man. The imperfect Christian got out, opened the back gate on her vehicle, and helped his wife put away their groceries. The imperfect Christian gave his wife the run down on the bitter white haired man, and his young female passenger. His wife said, "It's funny you mention that, he paid with an EBT card." That's when the imperfect Christian showed his imperfections clearly! The imperfect Christian said stereotypically, "That burns me up, that a man can drive a BMW, and get an EBT card, or government assistance, while others that need a ride to the store, and help buying groceries can't get a penny!" His wife said, "You never know what happened, he could be an engineer that was laid off, has a very high mortgage, and from the looks of his new SUV, possibly a very high car payment, and if he's paid his taxes he's just as deserving of receiving assistance as the next person." Can you say humbled!? All things led right to her analogy. He was embarrassed, and too proud to use the EBT card, and became bitter at his much younger female passenger for not making the purchase for him. His words between cursing were something like: After all the things I have done for you, and you can't even do one simple thing for me!
So the next time you bad mouth that young mother standing in front of you with the smart phone, and Nike Shox, remember she could have been laid off, or widowed by war, and just as deserving as the punk that is coveting her goods! Just another case of things aren't always, or may not always be what they seem to be!
Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J
