Top 6 SCOTUS Ruling Scriptures

By now, everyone has heard about the landmark SCOTUS decision handed down on Friday regarding same-sex marriage. In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone has heard WAY more than they ever wanted to hear about this decision. Everywhere I've turned since Friday I've seen or heard something about it. Everyone has an opinion, and many are very passionate about theirs. Emotions regarding this issue run the complete spectrum with each end being about as extreme as you can get. I have seen extreme love, extreme hate, and complete indifference. I've seen people removing others from their social media because of posts they've made. I've even seen people deactivating their own social media accounts because they are tired of all the drama. Me? I've just been taking it all in up to this point. I've listened to and read all the different opinions and viewpoints. But ultimately, like I do with everything, I turned to Scripture to help me digest it all. While there are countless Scriptures that have been thrown around in relation to this issue, I've come up with my own personal list of Scriptures that I am using for direction in all of this. (All Scriptures quoted are from the Common English version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.)

#1
He replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as yourself." ~Matthew 22:37-39 

This is where it all starts for me. According to Jesus, these are the two most important commandments, and every other law from the Old Testament hangs on them. He spent a lot of time talking about loving others, and that is what we should be focused on. The political stage is just that, a stage. And, nothing that could ever happen on that stage will ever change God's agenda of love. So, my agenda stays the same , too. Love God with everything I have and love the people around me.

#2
Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. You'll receive the same judgement you give. Whatever you deal out will be dealt to you. Why do you see the splinter that's in your brother's or sister's eye, but don't notice the log in your own eye? ~Matthew 7:1-3

One of the big debates surrounding this issue seems to be whether or not homosexuality is a sin. I have my opinion on that. But, to be quite frank, my opinion doesn't matter because I am not the judge. My opinion matters for me, and that's it. Using the definition of sin that I've derived from my time with God and reading the Bible to judge what other people are doing is not OK. Jesus didn't win people's hearts by telling them what horrible sinners they were. I know He didn't win my heart that way. He won (and still wins) people's hearts by loving them to the point of death on a cross in spite of the fact that they are sinners. That's the kind of person I want to be: the kind who loves people no matter what their sins might be. My role as a disciple of Christ is to share the amazing story of the Gospel with people, not to tell them the 827 reasons why they're going to hell if they don't listen to it. Besides, the good Lord knows that I've got a big enough job just dealing with the log in my own eye. Once I have eliminated sin from life and am perfect (which will never happen) is when I can start pointing out the splinters in other people's eyes.

#3
Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:6-7

So many people are getting so worked up over what this SCOTUS decision is going to mean for them or for this country. But, I see no need to worry about it at all. Ultimately, God is in control. If we spend our time worrying about this, or any other issue, we are trying to take that control away from Him. To me, it makes much more sense to pray for our government and the decisions they make, for the people of this country who are so wrapped up in emotion and turmoil right now, and for the people whose lives are directly affected by this decision. It makes more sense to take these requests to God, and at the same time thank Him that I am allowed to live in this great nation where I am free to pray to Him whenever and wherever I please. This is how I will be able to stay at peace when this battle is going on all around me.

#4
Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." ~Mark 12:17

OK, I know that in this verse Jesus was answering a question about paying taxes. But, I think the same principle applies here. What the government does belongs to the government, and what God does belongs to God. The government made a legal decision. They did not change the Bible. They did not change God's law. The simply made a decision about what unions the government is going to recognize. You can agree with it. You can disagree with it. But, at the end of the day, we still have man's law and God's law. They are separate from each other and do not have to agree. In fact, there are a lot of things that are legal in this country that the Bible classifies as sin. Just because it's legal doesn't mean you have to do it if you believe it is a sin. I know what I believe to be right and wrong, and nothing about this SCOTUS decision has changed my ability live according to those beliefs.

#5
The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. ~Psalm 103:19

It's been four days since this decision came down, and guess what? God is still on the throne. No matter what our government, our citizens, or our enemies might do, God will still be on the throne. SCOTUS is not my Lord. God is my Lord. This great planet belongs to Him, and I have to trust that His plan for it and for me are going to prevail no matter what.

#6
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. ~Joshua 24:15 (NIV) 

When everything else is said and done, this is what I have control over. In my house, we will continue to serve God. You don't have to. You have that choice. I can't make anyone, nor would God want me to. He wants us to come to him because we choose to. And, in my house, we choose to. Nothing is going to change that.

So, I guess it's safe to say that my reaction to this is no different than anything else that may be going on in my life or in the world around me. Here's the sort version:

• Love others.
• Don't judge.
• Pray.
• Government is government. God is God.
• God is, was, and always will be Lord.
• My family chooses to serve God.

It seems so simple. I just don't understand everyone has to make it so difficult.