I tell you not to judge others that you may not be judged, for you shall be judged by the same standard by which you judge others. Does this mean that you must go through life oblivious and unaware? Yet I also commended awareness in that I wanted my followers to have eyes to see and ears to hear. How can these things be reconciled? I want you to be discerning in that you comprehend reality both visible and invisible. Can you do this and stop short of invoking the condemnation that is involved in being judgmental? Then I can give you discernment for my redemptive purposes in the lives of those you meet.

Freely you have received, freely give. This is such a basic simple principle that it is hard to argue with, but have you ever encountered someone who has an obvious gift from me that they are stingy with? Or someone with a powerful gift from me that expects money, or recognition or power in exchange for exercising it? This is not to criticize the practice of freewill offerings, and if those are handled graciously it is clear that they are to be freely given so the giver can be cheerful. If you recognize that everything you have is a gift from me, then I have set a precedent by which you can pass it on without charge.

Why do you go to church? Do you go to meet with me? Do you go to socialize with your friends? Do you assume that these are contradictory goals and that one is high and lofty and the other one shallow and superficial? It doesn’t have to be such a stark choice. I promised that where 2 or 3 were gathered in my name I was in the midst of them. You can find my presence in a faith community and there are aspects of your spiritual formation that cannot be completed apart from one. Life in community is more than socializing, even as I have referred to my church as a body with many members.