My thoughts on it....

John 8: 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, "If any one of you is without sin, let him 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."

Why do we get so caught up in pointing out what another had done wrong? Why do we let pride control us? Why are we in denial about someone else's sin because it brings disgrace to us. Why are we so focused on labeling one sin so much greater then another?  Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.    3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. We all sin. We all fall short of the glory of God. Yet I feel that sometime we get caught up in other people's mistakes and cannot see past what they have done to offend God, mess up their life, mess up the life of another, and the list goes on and on.  Yet God uses everything. I had been living in a very depressed world because of many of the "mistakes" in my past. I could not fathom how God could forgive me for offending Him so much, so often, so willingly. It dawned on me recently how these past "skeletons in the closet" are helping me relate to people on a day to day basis. It is because of where I have been and thru the amazing grace of God that I am to the point where I can welcome sinners with open arms and share with them the love and mercy of God. God has forgiven me... do I really think I am that much better then HIM to not forgive my fallen brother or sister although, if compared, their sin might be more "wrong" then mine? But in whose eyes? We all look at the world thru tinted glasses. It is only thru the power of God that we are granted those moments of clarity and can act in perfect accordance with the most holy will of God!  We are soldiers of Christ! Using a human analogy.... so we are all soldiers in war. We are all fighting this raging enemy that will not give up... will no surrender. So we fight and fight and fight. Some days are herder then others. Some days there are more injuries then others. Bullets and fires and grenades are a daily ocurance. One of your closest friends gets injured. Shot. Bleeding. Laying there dying. Or maybe it is even someone you don't know... Would you go over there and at least comfort him? Try to save him?  So here we are in a world where there is a constant attack from satan. His army is strong. He prowls about like a lion..seeking to kill. Someone walks into one of his traps. He sneaks upon someone and wounds them. Are we just going to sit on the sidelines and watch our dear brother or sister lay there dying? Are we going to say "well, they just should have stayed out of the range of fire." Are we going to talk behind their back thinking that we are free from injury?? I certainly pray that that would not be me. I hope and pray that I rush to the one(s) who are injured and try to save them. In the physical world and the spiritual world. I pray we don't fall prey to the enemy and say "well if they did that, then I can do that too!" That can be compared to the battle/war scene. If your friend were lying there bleeding and dying would you try to save them.. or would you shoot yourself and join them on the ground bleeding to death as well? My point exactly.  I am saddened by watching some of those who are closest to me just walk thru life just barely alive because no one takes the time to offer nourishment... first aid! So many of us think that we have it all together that we don't need help. There is a pride that closes the ears to hearing truth. There is a closed heart that is unwilling to change.  This not pointed at anyone in particular, please note. It is just something that I've been observing and after recent events, I have felt compelled to share this. As always, this post reflects only the thoughts and feelings of me. By no means am I perfect. I strive to imitate Christ but fail on so many levels time and time again. But how much peace it brings with the knowledge that Christ died to free me from those bonds! The blood of Christ has washed me free! God knows my heart. He knows when I am genuinely striving to imitate Him. He knows when it is real. He knows when it is fake. So please, I ask that when one sees me doing, saying, acting in any way contrary to what pleases God ... please call me out on it. A little humility is never a bad thing. If anything, it does wonders for the spiritual life! Romans 6:1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?