[	Tags	|	devotion	]
[	mood	|	thoughtful	]

“I just don't know what I am going to do to feed my son this month. I promised him we would get juice and milk and other things this paycheck, but I had to tell him to put it all back and to get ramen.”

“Why don't you go to a local church and ask for help?”

“No, I'll never go to them. They lie. Even when they advertise in the penny saver that it is free and they will help they don't. They only look out for themselves. I went to one once and they asked me if I was a part of the church and I told them no. They told me they couldn't help me and it was only for their members. So no, fuck them. I'd rather starve than beg them again.”

This was the conversation I found myself overhearing at work the other day. One of the ladies I work with is a single mother who works incredibly hard to feed her son and give him a good life. She is one of the sweetest people in the world and in one fell swoop someone claiming to be a part of my religion created such a big stumbling block for us all, that I highly doubt this woman will ever trust a Christian ever again. I know that she will never look to us for help ever again and will always think of us as selfish and ungiving. 

My first reaction to this was, how dare they? How dare they miss an opportunity to witness to someone? How dare they not follow the teachings of the One they claim to follow and ignore the suffering of someone in need? I wonder if some people realize how hard it is for some people like this to come to a church in the first place to ask for help? It is a big blow to many and to be turned away in such a manner is further humiliating. What a shame.

I shouldn't be surprised though. I see or hear about churches or members of my religion doing this day after day. They hold judgement upon people and acts and proclaim to these people that they are not fit to live or to partake in their religion. But somewhere along the way people started forgetting the one thing about Christianity that sets us apart from all other religions. Grace. What happened to Grace? What happened to compassion? I don't see it anymore. Not a one of us deserves it any more than the other no matter what crimes and sins we have committed, yet so many of us look down upon others as if we are somehow better in the eyes of God. We are not. We are all sinners every one of us. If we weren't there would have been no need for Jesus. Grace is what sets us apart from everyone and it is what sets us free from our sins.

So before you look down on someone today for their sins, remember who could be looking down on yours and instead wipes them clean and loves you anyway. Who can you love today and show grace? Are you being a stumbling block instead?

Romans 3:9-31