Litigious

Litigious

1 Corinthians 6: If any of you have a dispute with another Christian, how dare you go before heathen judges instead of letting God's people settle the matter? ² Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? Well, then, if you are to judge the world, aren't you capable of judging small matters? ³ Do you not know that we shall judge the angels? How much more, then, the things of this life! ⁴ If such matters come up, are you going to take them to be settled by people who have no standing in the church? ⁵ Shame on you! Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians. ⁶ Instead, one Christian goes to court against another and lets unbelievers judge the case!

 

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Wanting to show who was in charge, I met with the legal team to discuss a dispute “I” had with another company. Since “they” were acting like jerks, “I” wanted to change the contract to add a few fines. “You can’t do that” the legal team advised. I was furious.

 

• There have been times when I wanted to go to court to get “my” way.
• There have been times when I wanted to show who really had the “power.”
• There have been times when I wanted to sue a group for a simple matter.

 

Paul attempts to grow this group of believers without saying the words “Just grow up!” They were taking disputes to court and letting unbelievers judge the case. Paul explains that those who believe in JESUS will one day judge the world, the evil spirits who tempted us and the one who devoured us.

 

• GOD wants me to seek peace with those who believe in JESUS.
• GOD wants me to use HIS wisdom in settling disagreements.
• GOD wants me to take peace before HIS throne so I will not act like Satan who brings accusations against me every step of the way.

 

Litigiousness also means acting combative, contentious, disputatious, disputative and argumentative. This disruptive behavior destroys the harmony GOD seeks. It also shows just how much of a child I have been when seeking “my” way and throwing a legal tantrum.

 

This behavior shows up in other areas of my life. When I complain about the way other people do things or get mad at GOD while trying to explain to HIM how “good” I have been. GOD wants me to seek HIS peace with everyone and leave the vengeance to HIM. I am grateful for HIS grace that is truly sufficient.

 

• Are you mad at someone to the point of trying to sue?
• Are you seeking advice from those who do not believe in JESUS?
• Will you stop trying to build “your” case and examine your heart to see if you are acting with hatred or love today?

Flip Back Over

Flip Back Over

Romans 14: ⁷ For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

 

¹⁰ You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

 

¹² So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

 

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“Look at them doing wrong over there” is what they said about us as we were just having “fun.” We would laugh and when one of my friends did something outrageous, I laughed even more. Years later, I returned to CHRIST. I felt sorry for those stuck in having “fun.: Years after that I said “Look at them doing wrong over there.”

 

• When did I flip over to being the judge?
• When did I start seeing the wrong in people?
• When did I look to blame others?

 

Paul continues with his appeal as given to him by the LORD. He had just tried to convince everyone that people will do different things for JESUS, giving honor and thanks to HIM in different ways. Now he sends a plea to stop looking at one another in a judgmental way. He ends his plea stating we all will stand before GOD as individuals, giving account for how we treated each other.

 

• GOD wants me to live for HIM and serve others.
• GOD wants me to drop the judgment and add words of life to people.
• GOD wants me to rid myself of contempt of “those” people and add prayers for “us” as sinners.

 

Being a tattletale is childish. I mean, a child tells an adult when another child is doing something wrong, meanwhile the child never looks at him or herself. This is my saying, “We are all in the mud, throwing mud at each other, saying ‘you have mud on you.””

 

Judgment is a sin GOD does not like. HE sees when I look down on someone for their actions and does not go after “that” person but corrects me. HE wants me to see people as HIS children whom HE loves. I am glad HE provides grace to me and hope HE guides me drop judgment of people.

 

• Are you judging people?
• Do you see the wrong in people immediately?
• Have you asked yourself, “When did I get to this point where I am judging people and I used to be judged?”, so you can flip back over to loving others?

Dirty Penny Thinking

Malachi 1:

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

⁷ “By offering defiled food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. ⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.

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When the snow melted I spotted change on the grimy parking lot. In spite of the salt, dirt and gook, I picked up the soiled coins and placed them in my pocket. When I finished my shopping the cashier quoted my balance due, “That will be $8.22” is an example. I reached into my pocket and shoved the shiny dimes and pennies aside only to pick the grimy, nasty change. I handed the wet change over with confidence!

• Sometimes I don’t give my best.
• Sometimes I hand the other person the worst and keep the best for me.
• Sometimes I make a judgment call on who “deserves” the best.

“Dirty Penny Thinking” crept into other parts of my life. Soon I was not sharing “my” stuff. I was holding back the best for me and giving others the leftovers. I went to church and said “Not this week, I don’t have enough to give” as I held back a nice portion for myself.

• GOD says to me “I want your best.”
• GOD says to me “I want you to give me your first, not your last.”
• GOD says to me “I want your attitude towards me to be top of mind, not second or third.”

Giving GOD my best means I keep the Dirty Penny and give others the best, even when they don’t “deserve” it. “Clean Penny” thinking shows up when someone is not giving me their best. I need to do my best in spite of what is going on around me. That is when GOD is pleased.

• Are you treating someone poorly because they have treated you poorly?
• Do you give someone your worst, trying to keep the best for yourself?
• Can you stop thinking “that” person “deserves” mediocre to poor treatment?
• Will you give someone your best today in service to GOD?