LEARNING DAILY

John 8:10-11, Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

I read a devotional the other day about those things we tolerate. With an education background I thought back to teachers who allowed students to call them by their first name or by a nickname. I always thought that showed little respect for the teacher’s authority; I never allowed that. I did not allow a student to talk back to me. Nope, it was not going to happen. I would not allow one of my athletes to go through an undisciplined practice. Do the “little things” right because if the athletes didn’t or there was no discipline, it would come back to haunt that team when game day came. I thought back to the few years I was in retail management. I look at the undisciplined, mediocre retail business practice today – well, it would have never been that way with the upper management I worked for.

Mediocracy, tolerance, the thought that everyone’s belief systems, and lifestyles should be accepted is part of our current culture and standards are decreasing because of it in every aspect of life. Are we really to accept a person throwing Molotov cocktails on a crowd of people, like just happened in Colorado? Do we really accept what is happening in our educational system at all levels as freedom of speech? I imagine Jesus would be called intolerant to His face today if He spoke to the woman caught in adultery (the verse above).

John 8:11 might be said by some today, at least the first half of the verse. People who want everything people do to be tolerated might use the words, "Neither do I condemn you”. But I doubt the last part of Jesus’ statement would be used. There is an expression I have heard, and I may not write it correctly, that goes like this, “We have today what we tolerated yesterday”. I think that statement still applies today. Tolerating a lack of discipline and lowering standards to make ourselves look better contributes to many of the problems faced in our society today.

Jesus finished His statement by saying, “go, and from now on sin no more." I would bet the woman did not continue the lifestyle she had been in. She met her Savior and it changed her life! Believers have met their Savior and He has and continues to change them. Personalize that for a moment. The decisions you make today and tomorrow are based on the Word of God that you have put into your heart. You will either allow God’s Word to shape your thinking or the world’s thinking will do so. Your faith, your beliefs will be tested over and over by what goes on around us. Jesus did not console the woman by telling her she was innocent because her attackers had left. He told her to stop sinning! He showed her grace; but also told her to go and live different from the world.

So, Jesus tells us to no longer be tolerant in a world that wants us to be. Do not go along with the crowd, blending into what everyone else is doing. Stop giving in to peer pressure and worrying about what others think or say about you. It is more important to consider what Jesus thinks and says about you.