Be A Life Changer

Open Your Eyes to the Things Unseen

In a world full of trouble, hatred, pain, and suffering, only those who choose to find the good in life will. Everyone has a story that reflects directly who they are as a person, something that defines them. You may carry baggage because of what someone did to you in the past, but why? The problem with people in today's society is they believe the world owes them something. They believe the people that have wronged them should be punished and they live their life holding a grudge until they get some sort of apology. Luke 6:42 states this:

"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Meaning to me: Do not judge others for the things they may have done wrong or for the things they do not do in the same manner as you. Open your own eyes to see the things YOU have done wrong in your life because you would not want to be placed on a pedestal in front of the world while someone calls out all of your own sins. If you are going to judge someone, can't you see that you yourself have problems of your own that you need to work out? When you clearly remove your own burdens, you will then realize that those things you thought the other person were at fault for will seem harmless and worthless because you will now be at rest, and you will have peace, forgiveness, and Jesus Christ in your heart. 

When YOU judge someone, that does not necessarily define who THEY are, it defines who YOU are. 

John 8:1-12 shares a powerful message about how forgiving our Savior is.

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” 12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Response: This does not mean sinning (committing adultery) is right, of course. This is just a wonderful and true example of how Jesus stepped in when the people of the town wanted to point out all of someone else's mistakes before stepping back and taking a look at their own lives.

This message goes hand in hand with the way the world thinks and responds now-a-days. You constantly want someone to notice things you do right, but the minute you do something wrong, you follow with, "well so and so is worse than me... did you hear what he/she did?". This world is so full of earthy things when we should all be focusing on the things unseen. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. Recognize who YOU are as a person. Point out your own strengths and weaknesses. Focus on things you can improve on, and I promise you... once you do that, you won't have anything negative to say about your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ because you will see past the earthly things and you will open your eyes to the things unseen.

Practice loving, practice giving, practice encouraging, practice praying, practice serving, and practice ministering. 

YOU define who YOU are as a person, don't ever think someone else's words define you. In reality, it only defines them as a person who is a "downer" and not a "lifter".

"Live in such a way where if anyone would speak badly of you, no one would believe it."