I was looking at Matthew 12 where Jesus’ disciples are walking through the fields and eating the grain. The pharisees pipe up, “Not Lawful! Bad disciples, bad Jesus.”
How did they even see them doing this? Why did they notice something that seems so meaningless?
Here’s my theory:
They were followers too.
Jesus had His disciples, twelve of them. He also had many others that listened to Him and followed Him. But there were others that walked along, following every action, every word. They didn’t want to learn. They wanted to tear apart.
Do you see this in your own life? You start going in a good direction only to find that those around you are tearing you down. You hear the condemning truth of how impossible your dreams are, how foolish you are, how you’ve failed so many times before. They seem to be coming out of the woodwork, didn’t even know that they were there until you hear their voices. “Bad! Unlawful! Not Christian! Not Holy!” They seem so mature. They talk a good game. They sound like they have life, living, God all figured out.
Then Jesus breaks in. Man wasn’t made for the laws but laws were made for man. God sees you as more important than rules. God, CREATOR GOD, says, “There is therefore no more condemnation…”
Are you following Him? Are you listening to Him? Be in His word! Listen to Godly counsel! Pray! And LIVE!
Those “clanging cymbals” are silenced by a “still, small voice.”
The Healing Worshipper 
” You hear the condemning truth of how impossible your dreams are, how foolish you are, how you’ve failed so many times before.”
I wonder if someone who only has this kind of input to add to someone’s life could possibly be seen as being “Godly”. No one is right all the time, there are times when all of us need a bit of constructive criticism in order to get us back on track again when we veer off. The words people speak to us won’t always be “yea, and amen”, sometimes we need reproof, but the edification should flow out just as freely as the criticism and if it doesn’t, (this is just me) but I don’t sense God in that at all.
God is a good Father. He corrects firmly but only because of love. His mercy is always married to His justice. His children should be the same.
“Iron sharpens iron.” Too often, our words, my words dull my brother’s edges. We always have to remember that we don’t see everything, we don’t know everything. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t “test” things or blindly accept things. Love and discernment are critical words.
So I’m learning. The more I learn, the less I realize that I actually know about anything.
It’s disturbing at times to think that I’ve dulled someone that I could have sharpened but we all have. This is why we need reminders.
loved this!
Thank you!
For some of us, the negative words can reinforce what we are more inclined to feel about ourselves. It is so important (and this is me talking to me) to immerse myself in the Word of God. The enemy often uses other believers to tear us down and somehow that is seen as a good thing. We forget that we are to love each other and build one another up. I am reminded by those I truly respect that God’s reproofs are to woo us back to Him. The enemy’s condemnation drives us further away. So I try to weigh it out–is what this person saying a chance to fall before my Savior and thank Him and seek Him or is it something that makes me want to run and hide away because I truly am no good?
And even in this, we have a choice. Negative things are not from God, condemnation, hateful criticism. But, we can choose to allow God to speak through them, look for those nuggets of truth. We can hear God speaking above what satan would say to us. Remembering, as Joseph learned, that what man (and satan) would mean for evil, God can turn to our good and the good of all those around us.