Judge not, that ye be not judged. Matthew 7:1
We all do it
We think someone else should do this or that
We have preconceived ideas of how people should act
or what they should say
or what they should do
Then we project them
Then it can cause unforgiveness and possibly bitterness
to spring up in our hearts, to cause hard feelings
The log in our eye, you who judge do you not do the same things?
Yes, Lord, we do
The Lord had tried to teach me this lesson many times
I want to share the one that I feel finally got through to me
Not that the other ones didn’t lead up to this time
They had to have
I was a teacher at a large high school
I had a dear friend whose daughter attended that high school
I was close to her daughter as well
I noticed her locker was right outside my room
I said to her, “Your locker is right outside and you never stop in to say hi!?”
My feelings were hurt
I realized all the logical things like she only had 5 minutes between classes
and the school was so large that it might’ve meant walking 2-4 city blocks
from one class to the next, not to mention any other needs she might’ve had
It was still hard for me to understand
because if she cared, she would’ve made the time, right?
It wasn’t too long after that, her mom let me know
her daughter was going play a softball game
I looked out and could see the field and the game was happening
It was then the Lord said to me, “The games are right out there!”
It sunk in
I went to the game
I had to process the whole situation
Here I had judged her for not caring about me
and I let my feelings get wounded
I did the same thing, just like Jesus says we do
Years later, I try to practice instant forgiveness
I think of that as what grace really means
I also try to not expect someone else do what I think they should
or to be bound by what I think I might do if I were in their shoes
We cannot see another’s heart
We are to be gracious and forgiving and to realize
that all blessings flow from God
He is our source and He provides those who love us as well
A main function of a Christian is to be like Christ
If we want to truly be like Him,
let us realize and remember that
Jesus Christ flowed with grace
And He came to seek and to save that which was lost
Let our ugly human judgment not get in the way of that
Scriptural References:
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? Romans 2:1-4
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:1-5