I’m quite sure that I ‘m not the only one that this has happened to. Ever felt pretty high and mighty and felt just because you didn’t have an issue with a certain sin or annoying characteristics that you had the right to judge someone? Maybe we nag, complain, have bad thoughts, etc that all fall under the true sin of judging other people. Sometimes we do with without knowing it. Sometimes it is the good in us that is rejecting the thought of such horrible sins. It stinks even worse when you think that you don’t have issues with judging someone until God places them into you life. Talk about grading on my nerves! There are 3-4 sins that I cannot stand. One is lying, the others I won’t say because, well, I don’t want to. Amazing since I did so much lying as a teenager. I grew up hearing that all sin was the same in God’s eyes, none worse than the other. Well I don’t believe that entirely. You can if you want, I don’t want to get in any theological conversations… if you really want to, call me, don’t post it here. I think that we are all sinners and we all need God the same amount. I think some sins are worse than others just because of the way they affect others, in other worse the consequences of the sin. Well, let me get back to the point.
One day, in the book maybe, I will be able to give more details about this situation. For now, some of you will know what I’m going through, it addition to cancer, geez. Others, just try to imagine and maybe apply some it to your own life if you can. Maybe you have a coworker, family member, friends, etc that drives you crazy, or you talk about, and you feel that you have a right to do so. I’m thinking you do, because I do, and I like to think I’m a little normal. Like I mentioned before, it is easy to say things like, “ I don’t care if someone does this, or is like this, it doesn’t affect me, etc” . I have found out lately that it is really easy to say those things until that person is in your life and you like “Crap, I don’t like you, why don’t I like you, oh because you do this and this and it drives me crazy, or you will never change, and your not a Christian so I’m supposed to be a good witness, why me, why now?” There has to be some verses about the people that God put in your life you mold you….. I’ll have to look.
I took this course at a Vineyard church a while back. It was called Elijah House http://www.elijahhouse.org/?src=23. It really helped me to understand about judging and the roots of long term issues in our lives. I’m sure you have seen in your family or someone else you know that has a cycle of sin in their family, whether it is abuse, alcoholism, the occult, mothers not taking care of their children, etc. One of the things that Elijah House points out is that when we judge someone and do not forgive them, we can quite easily end up doing the same thing to ourselves, our mates, our children. Then it can start the cycle over again. The key is forgiveness. Does that mean that we forgive one time and we are done. Good luck with that, I never had any. I think that we have to forgive over and over. Our memories are like elephants, not gold fish. We feel guilty for not being able to just forgive someone the first time, well they hurt us, why would it be easy. Getting hurt was not easy, was it? And nothing worthwhile is easy, except steamable veggies. Someone grading on your nerves is not easy either. Just keep seeking the Lord. That doesn’t mean you don’t tell people when they hurt you, or let people help you get out of a bad situation. No door mats please.
Watch OUT! As soon as you realize all the above, you may do what I did. “ I can handle this Heather, you got this, just follow the Lord, you can forgive and not judge, give them a chance, hell, call them” Then you do, and they disappoint you again and again. Man, at that point, I was madder at God than that person. I don’t think he minded. He knew it was coming. You can be angry and not sin believe it or not. I have learning something the last couple of years about expectation. Sometimes they are too high for those people in our lives that just can’t get over being selfish, self absorbed, inconsiderate, self destructive, mean, apathetic, put whatever you want here. When our expectations are unreasonable, that is when we feel that we have a RIGHT to judge someone. If our expectations are that some people may not change unless God changes them, maybe we/I wouldn’t be so sensitive about it. We honestly don’t really know what people have been through, what happened to them, if they know the Lord, if they are hurting right now, if they want to reach out but feel like they can’t because we have a judgment wall going on, and maybe you are that person. It is possible to be on both sides of this at the same time. Holy Cow. Going through the Elijah House program I was able to deal with a lot of things in my family and that happened to me, or I did in the past….. guess I missed this one J
Again, what’s the point of a good story if the character doesn’t change? I just thought the cancer was the crash course. I'm in a full term. Surprise, Surprise!
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Romans 2:1-3
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear..
Matthew 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
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