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Have you ever been in the place where you were so excited about something God has shown you or where He was leading you or maybe even a new revelation of the Word ? What's the next thing you did? Probably the same thing I do, think about who I want to share it with or who I can tell what God has done or what God has shown me. Right? Then you are all excited talking to them about this great thing and they cut you off in the middle of a sentence? Or they start correcting everything you are trying to say. Have you ever been there? Usually these are the people that we look up too, respect, want to show our best side too, someone in leadership, or maybe a boss, or pastor or even a friend that we admire.

Or are you on the other side of the coin and are the one who always has to have the last word, knows more and makes sure they know it, feels like it is your Christian duty to correct, or just really in reality, you feel jealous or inferior so you show it with your mouth! I have been on both sides of the fence! I have been the know - it - all - jerk and I have been the one who has been slapped side ways with someone else's words. Even to the place that I had gotten an attitude. You know the one, I bet I will never tell them anything else as long as I live- attitude! Both are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

Or have you been in a place where you had messed up and you knew it and all you really needed was someone to help you get up, dust yourself off, and get back in the game and instead what you got was a well you made your bed and now you have to lay in it sermon. You know the one. Well, what you are going through are seeds you planted! Bad seed sown! Don't you think they know that? Do we really believe that God has sent us here to correct every person that comes across our path? How about just encouraging them to go before God and repent and encouraging them to forgive themselves and get up and go again. I promise you the majority of the people who have bad seed sown and are reaping the harvest have no doubt that they are reaping! Who has appointed you as their judge and juror? Jesus paid the price for them too. Who has told us to be the corrector instead of the encourager? Now I know that their are times that it is necessary. But I think they are far more less than we realize.

I keep thinking about Peter when he chopped off that guys ear. Wasn't that a by-product of anger seed? Or all the ones that crucified Jesus? Or persecuted the church in ignorance? There are times we will have to reap what we sow but there are times when Jesus can step in and "heal the ear" so to speak. I choose to be like Jesus! I see in His word far more times when He is compassionate, loving , kind, gentle, tender, of a humble nature than I do Him being the Jesus with the whip! So who do you choose to me today? My encourager or my corrector? My encourager or my judge and jury? I remember my pastor telling us 2 things some time ago. One was people do not care how much you know but they do just want to know you care! And the other was this, if I choose to judge you doesn't it stand to reason that I should have to pronounce sentence on you? I don't know about you but I don't want to sentence anyone to anything, I have enough around my own back porch!! GOD BLESS AND GO OUT AND BE AN ENCOURAGER TODAY!!!

"Today's Little Lift" from Jim Bullington

Mercy and not Sacrifice (Sept. 29, 2010)