Christian Devotion, Judgment
The Golden Chariot
As human beings, we tend to get along best with people when we don't know them well. A popular actor may be a well-respected icon until we discover that he has a girl in every port and becomes slap-happy when he has too many spirits - which happens to occur on a nightly basis and has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit.
Even our beloved partners sink down a few notches or two or sometimes three as the Wheels of Life keep grinding away. They may have ridden into our lives on a white horse, or may have been a beautiful lady in waiting, but soon - once we discover a few personal habits or when we get to know them well, we may wish we would have shot the horse or left the lady waiting.
A True Story
Rick had a sister named Sarah who was married to Bill. At this given point in life, both siblings were in need of a vehicle.
Rick marched up to his local dealership and chose a beautiful golden truck that was loaded with bells and whistles. Unfortunately, it was also loaded with miles - some 160,000 miles. However, those leather seats and the truck's impeccable exterior condition helped Rick to overlook the high mileage and he drove off the lot - head held so high that he almost looked like a Fisher-Price toy as he headed to his elderly mom's house to share his good fortune.
In the meanwhile, Sarah and Bill continued searching for their vehicle and were getting quite worried because the one they were driving was on its last leg. In fact, it had been for the last 5 years. Soon they came across a rather ugly truck and the only bell it had was a funny-sounding horn, and the only whistles it had were a radio and an air-conditioner that worked well. No leather seats, no zippy windows, no controlling the cruise, either. What it did have was very low mileage - only 24,000 miles. And the price was excellent - in fact, the same amount that Rick had paid for his truck - according to Rick as he had boasted of his purchase over the phone earlier that day.
Soon, Sarah and Bill went to visit mother and when they pulled into the drive, there sat Rick's golden chariot in all its golden glory. The first thing that Sarah's mom wanted to know was the cost of the truck and when her daughter hesitantly shared the information, her mother told her, "You got ripped off! Why, look at the good deal your brother ended up with."
Sarah and Bill shared a look, feeling like two sheep unable to bleat while Brother Rick puffed out his chest - inflated by pride. He had always been mother's favorite due to a certain part of anatomy that Sarah was lacking. And mother was getting up in years and Sarah and Bill had always been respectful - even when it wasn't mutual, so they just smiled sheepish smiles and said nothing more.
When the visit ended, they hugged mother goodbye, then headed for their truck - Rick clipping at their heels and claiming that he wanted to walk them out - which of course, appeared as a hospitable gesture. Sarah hugged her brother goodbye; Bill shook his hand and they both climbed into their ugly, low mileage truck, Bill cranking the engine to life. But before he could back out of the drive, Rick motioned him to roll down the window, then stuck his head inside the truck like a curious ostrich, his eagle-eyes soaring over the mileage indicator and widening in the process. "Just admiring the interior," Rick feigned, when both Sarah and Bill knew exactly what Rick was doing. As they head home, they both share a giggle. Rick couldn't resist the opportunity to compare, but Sarah and Bill didn't care. All they were concerned with was the dependability of their truck.
Two months passed and unfortunately, Rick's golden chariot blew an engine. When he arrives at Sarah's and Bill's house to show off his like-new, shiny red truck while boasting of its 4k mileage, both Sarah and Bill dole-out favorable compliments as Rick's chest once again, expands with pride.
There are several lessons to be learned with this Judgment Devotion. Here are just a few:
Lesson 1 - We do best when we focus on our own lives rather than those around us. When we can't get past other people's issues, how can we move forward? And being human, we all have issues.
Lesson 2 - We must do our best to forgive one another's faults, for if we can't forgive one another, how can we expect God to forgive us?
Lesson 3 - An abundance of tolerance goes a long way in getting along and understanding others, and also in helping others accept our personal flaws.
Lesson 4 - Quick to judgment often leads to incorrect assumptions.
Lesson 5 - Beauty really is only skin-deep, particularly when it comes to golden chariots.......
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