The Lord’s insight. Expectation should come with tolerance. Tolerance should never be without expectation.
John 8:10-11: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She said No one Lord. And Jesus said to her, neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”
John 5:14: “Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, see you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
Recently, I was walking into church and ahead of me was a teenage girl who was dressed like she was just born. Her diaper didn’t cover much of what it should have covered. She walked with what I believed were her parents. I must confess. I was appalled at how she was dressed entering the church.
I know, I know, some of you might say to me, lighten up a bit. At least she was at church. That’s a good thing. I don’t disagree with that. Still, church hasn’t been the same for me since I saw that. I have prayed about me more than I think about her. I want to make sure I am not judging someone by the way they dress.
I have examined myself inside out. I have asked the Lord to examine me inside out. If there is something lurking within me that would make me question another person’s belief and faith, I want to know that. I want to root it out of me.
I don’t want to excuse my own behavior and thoughts about that young girl by saying I’m no better than she is because we all have our faults. Most believers would say something like that. But they would still have a judgmental view of that young lady.
So, this message is about me and my conversation with the Lord about how that young girl made me feel about me. When it comes to the church, I don’t care for pastors and church staff who do trendy things like wear skinny jeans, tight clothes, men who wear shoes with no socks, ladies who wear jeans with holes in them, men who wear hats in church.
Yes, this is me. But it is also me to accept that my belief and my walk is mine and yours is yours. I do not want to judge anyone before I let myself be judged by the Lord. Still, there are some things I would rather not see as a part of the church where I choose to worship.
A church can be welcoming. I guess the opposite of that is the church that stands out and points fingers. A church can be tolerant. I guess the opposite of that is the church that is so strict the people faint. A church can be loving, and I guess the opposite of that would be the church that loves only those who love like the church.
For me, after praying about my heart, here is what I believe works for me and perhaps it might work for many of us. I came to the Lord many years ago just as I was at that time. That is the only way you or me or anyone else can initially come – just as we are.
But I have learned that I don’t keep coming just as I was. When Jesus said go and sin no more, when He said, sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you, He was saying I have expectations that you will change so I will be tolerant and understanding and patient and noncondemning while I wait for you.
The church that works best for me is the church that expresses its expectation by showing its tolerance. Love without expectation is harmful. Mercy without expectation is harmful. Acceptance without expectation is harmful.
It is through my expectation, first of myself, and then towards others, that I will show my love and tolerance and acceptance and grace and understanding. Jesus does this for us all day every day. I pray I can do it for more days than not. Consider allowing your expectations to reflect your tolerance.
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