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Today I’d like to share something that a fellow sister in Christ recently wrote about her mom. It’s a beautiful, sobering picture of what true love really looks like, and I think the world needs to hear it. ❤️

My greater lesson from my mom’s battle with her cancer, her death and the redefined meaning of LOVE…

I often hear the misused phrase “judge not” or “who are you to judge” hurled by the world (and sadly many in The Church) at any one who would point out that something is wrong with their behavior or understanding. I have found that this really is just a disguise by the human flesh to really mean… “Just keep your mouth shut and let me do what I want to do. I’m not really interested in hearing what is right or wrong.” (I guess satan’s first temptation and promise to Eve was really a lie.)

Now granted, scripture directs us on not judging those outside The Church, nor to involve ourselves in their affairs. (1 Cor 5:11-13 and 2 Tim 2:4-5) Why? Because they are already judged and condemned. Instead, scripture exhorts us to judge those inside The Church.

So what exactly does that look like and how does warning someone and protecting them from destruction not turn into “you’re judging me”? And more importantly, how are we really loving our neighbor?

The truth is, I loved my mom dearly. And as family, I not only loved her, but had a deep desire to see her happy. With that said, there came a day when I had to carry my mother into the doctor’s office for a surgery. During this time the doctor informed me that my mother had stage 2 breast cancer.

Now…..if you have ever had someone you love diagnosed with a terminal illness, you know it is not a very “positive” experience. BUT, here’s my question. What if the doctor and I had this information about something this horrific that was leading to her death and destruction… and what if I had then said to my mother’s doctor, “Please just keep quiet. This type of news or information will really hurt my mom. It’s not productive to keeping a positive, joyful outlook on life and really, who are you to judge how this will affect her or what her outcome will be……You’re not God!”

I wonder, would I be a “loving” daughter?

What if the doctor chooses to give her the information anyway and my mom accepts the reality of her condition… and then he tells her that there are some steps that can be taken to cure her, but it will require obedience to the instructions for treatment. She agrees and then leaves to pick up her prescription. What if it says to take take twice a day orally, but she decides it is now more comfortable to dissolve the pills in water once a day and soak her feet in them instead. It’s relaxing, doesn’t require as much effort or remembering, and certainly doesn’t cause her to feel uncomfortable.

Am I obligated to remind her or share with her what the doctor really said, or is it more loving to just let her do what she feels is best for her? Regardless of whether I tell her and she ignores me or I keep quiet, the outcome is still death. The question is, in which scenario am I genuinely loving my “neighbor” (my mother in this case), and in which one will I be held accountable to God…(herein lies the REAL meaning of being your brothers keeper)?

Ezekiel 3:16-21

Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

20 “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.

~ Shared with permission, from Seeds Among the Soil.~

I hope this blesses you today.
Emily