On judging people

I kinda put this page up so that I could be motivated to do my devotions but I guess, the moment just came today. I hope it will continue further by the grace of God.

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The video of Ms. Paula Salvosa has become viral through this week and I kinda got overwhelmed with the AMALAYER posts all over my wall. Poor me, I had to watch the vid due to an inner urge. Seemed like I was joining the bandwagon and there I was, posting a hate post against the young lady.

A question came over me: "What if she was my student?". One of my students even commented on my post and corrected me. I was glad hearing it from her.

Few more nights, during our midweek service, God (through Mommy Olive de Leon) took our discussion to Galatians 1:1a, which says "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently (emphasis mine)". We were brought to a question: HOW DO WE RESTORE PEOPLE GENTLY?

We must return to the foundations of our faith. As said in Ephesians 2:8-9 " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.". We must understand that nobody is above anyone especially that we all have sinned. Can we all remember what Jesus told the people when they were asking if the prostitute that they caught should be stoned to death?

What right then do we have to tell her that what she did was wrong? We don't even know what she's mad about really. And what gain do we get by telling her she was wrong? Well, most of the time, ego.

The Bible says in the I Corinthians, "Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" Egos are concepts that should not be inflated in all of us Christians. The entirety of Romans and I Corinthians talk a lot about two of the main values that each of us should have: LOVE AND HUMILITY.

How then should we remind somebody who has done wrong? With love and gentleness. As it said in Romans 13:10, "Love does no harm to a neighbor".

If you were Paula's friend, what would you do? May God bless us all.