By Gina Caswell Kelly
“Brethren these things ought not be.” – Cletus Caswell ( and the Bible!)
I have heard my daddy say those words often in my life. When he would watch the news or read the paper, or hear stories about wrongdoings in the world, he would shake his head and say those words. He has been gone for eight years now, and his mind wasn’t good for several years before that. I wonder what he would say today! I am sure he would be horribly shocked at the state of things around us and how sin is just accepted as another way of living and the rest of us should just deal with it and keep the line moving.
I want to say a couple of things right here. One, we have got to continue to step up as Christians and be bold and call sin, sin when we see it being pushed on us as a political agenda. Two, we need to remember that we all have sin in our lives and none of us is without the need of forgiveness. Just because someone sins differently than you do, does not make their sin any worse. So, understand both of those things from the outset.
My daddy did not like sin in his own life, or anyone else’s life. My daddy was also one of the most forgiving people I have ever known. He would see sin in someone’s life and not openly condemn them. Instead, he would invite them to church. He would walk alongside them and try to be an influence for good in their lives. And that is how we are supposed to be. We are not meant to be judge and jury for the sins in the lives of those around us. We are meant to be light to a world growing darker by the day. We are meant to recognize sin when we see it, and immediately and quietly pray for that person. We are not meant to condemn and blast them on social media.
Daddy and James (James 3:10) were right. Friends, these things ought not be. But we need to examine our own lives as closely as we examine others to see what ought not be there. Yes, by all means, call sin a sin in this world, but bow your head in prayer that God would work in the hearts and lives of those around you. Walk alongside the one you are concerned about. Offer God’s grace and peace. Offer God’s forgiveness. And be thankful for the grace of God and the forgiveness of God in your own life.
God’s forgiveness and grace make the difference!
