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Luke 6:37 says, "If you don’t want to be judged, don’t judge. If you don’t want to be condemned, don’t condemn. If you want to be forgiven, forgive." (The Voice)
And I feel like this is where my struggle is.
I judge people... sometimes before I even know them.
I judge their motives.
I judge their actions.
I judge their words.
I judge their situations.
And half the time-- I don't even know the person that well.
And honestly-- even if I do know the person, it doesn't mean I understand their heart or know what takes place in the secret part of their life.
According to the dictionary, 'judge' means: "a person qualified to pass a critical judgment....."
And well, considering the mess I've made of my life over the past few years, I would say that I'm not anywhere near qualified to judge the motives, actions, words, and situations of others.
Matthew 7:1-2 states, "If you judge other people, then you will find that you, too, are being judged. Indeed, you will be judged by the very standards to which you hold other people."
Ouch.
You will be judged by the standards to which you hold other people----
what are we saying about others?
what are we gossiping about when it comes to their motives?
how little mercy are we giving to them?
are we speaking with any compassion at all?
Because we will be held to that same standard.
Quite frankly, I don't want anyone speaking ill about the mess I made of my life recently--- because no one truly understands the condition of my heart.
So why on earth do I put that condemnation on others when they could be going through the same things I have been?
Mother Teresa said, 'If you judge others you have no time to love them' and how true is this?
If condemnation and judgment fill our hearts... where is there room for love? for patience? for compassion? for empathy? for prayer? for the goodness of Christ?
Another quote I read states, "Do not judge. You don't know what storm I've asked them to go through..."
Difficult moments. Struggles. Trials.
We all face them and we all deal with them differently.
We don't know what brokenness fills their life........
Prayer.
Love.
Peace.
Faith.
Goodness.
Those heal brokenness.
Judgment.
Condemnation.
Guilt.
Bitterness.
Hostility.
Those continue to destroy.
What are we doing to our fellow man today?
Have you ever heard the song 'Help Me' by Cortt Chavis? In this song, he talks about various circumstances that some people face:
- I'm the man on the street holding a sign, I know what it says, but look in my eyes. I need more than money.
Will you pray for me? Will you speak to me? Be moved by compassion for me. Help me, I'm falling. Does anyone hear me calling out? I'm calling out for help. I'm in too deep to save myself or I'd save myself oh I need, someone to help me.
- I'm the lawyer you met in the coffee shop, I know I seem fine, but really I'm not. My life is crashing.
- I'm the city you drive through on your way to work,can't you hear my streets crying? full of pain and hurt. Send me a preacher.
Will you reach to me? Please preach to me. There's not much time. Help me, I'm falling. Does anyone hear me calling out? I'm calling out for help. I'm in too deep to save myself or I'd save myself oh I need, someone to help me.
Will you pray for me? Interceed for me? Reach down to me? Be God's hand for me? Preach it straight to me? Show God's Word to me? Fight hell for me? Save my city's streets?
We need a healer.
This is the brokenness that's in the world today.
I've been there.
I've been that broken woman that has to pick up what's left of her life-- and believe me when I say this--
judgment and condemnation didn't save my soul.
Love, compassion, understanding, and prayer did.
The part that touches my soul every time I listen to this song is:
FIGHT HELL FOR ME.
How many of us use so much of our time judging the motives and situations of others and we completely avoid praying for that person? Fighting hell for that person? Encouraging that person to overcome the demons in their lives? Spending time with that person? Actually talking to that person?
How many of us hear a situation and immediately go and tell someone else--------- casting the person down with 'I can't believe she did that' or 'He's worthless.....'
How many of us hear a situation and immediately hit the floor-- shaking the depths of heaven for peace for that person? for healing for that person? for hope for that person?
Judgment steals from the person in the situation--- and let me tell you-- it steals from our souls too.
God is calling us to be loving and merciful.
Judgment destroys that.
This is one area I need to work on in my daily life---
starting today.
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