For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:2
What we have to be really open to, and expect, is that when we learn lessons or learn something about the LORD, or judge someone - the test comes.
And the test is the same as we measured out.
If we fail the test, just like school, we get re-tested somewhere.
Sadly there are some who never pass the tests of life - and pay the price
of failure.
And don't kid yourself the SPIRITUAL includes the physical and mental. If
it effects one part of you - it effects all of you, that is what a body is.
Ok, so what is my point?
I was tested...
It started on a Monday, I was in a McDonalds with my dad, and I over heard a lady
about my age (she was in her 40's) talking to her very senior mother.
The talking wasn't strange, but it was 'how' she was talking to her elderly mother.
As this was November, she was telling her mother, in no uncertain terms, what
she demanded her aged mother to give her for Christmas.
She insisted that her mother order online a 'kindle' from Amazon. Which allows book worms to download and read on a electronic computerized tablet and usually the e-books are less money than traditional paper books.
Anyway, the point was that she demanded her mother get her one, and no other gift would do!
The mother was very congenial, and agreed that if her daughter 'needed' one she would make sure she would order one for her. Although she reminded her daughter that she doesn't really know how to order online.
The daughter told her mother, that her brother would help her and that using a credit card, was all that it took to get this gift, and then told her mother how much it would all cost.
I laughed to myself, thinking what a crazy conversation. I thought, they were both acting like the mother was 30 and her daughter was 9.
Now if you are Christian, then its one of the HOLY SPIRITS jobs to make you grow into CHRIST. Become more like how HE is, not how you are!
So, I made judgements in my heart about this two-some, not having a clue who they where or where they were coming from.
Enter the TEST!
About 3 days later, I am going to meet my dad in a local coffee shop. Knowing he was going to get there before me, he asked what I wanted. So that when I would arrive there minutes later, everything would be ready - and paid for! Thanks dad!
Anyway we were also ordering bagels with our coffee's and tea's.
I ordered a cheese bagel, I don't eat them very often but from time to time
have a craving for them. My dad knows this.
When I arrive, everything is ready, but to my surprise the bagel was
sesame seed and not the cheese type that I wanted.
I mentioned it to my Dad, and he said, he thought they told him
they were out of them. I said 'ok', thanks.
But when I got up to get a napkin, I saw they had many cheese bagels!
I was about to ask my dad about what happened?
When the LORD reminded me, that I was falling in the same pattern as
the woman and her mother a few days earlier!
As the prophet Nathan said to David, when David was caught in a sin,
Nathan said "David, you are that man!" 1 Samuel 12:7
Re - learning several lessons:
1) Receive everything with thanks!
2) As you judge others, you will be judged.
3) As you judge or learn something (or like most often,
think we've learned something) the test comes!
Get ready for your test!
Re-tests available.
-eric
