Judgment Day

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others.  The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.  Matthew 7:1-2

With the latest news headlines and outpouring of public opinion on social media, I wanted to write today about the dangers of judgment.  We must be careful when we judge others, because we simply may not know or understand all of the facts or circumstances.  I have had my fair share of people make unfair evaluations about me and I know that I have done the same to others throughout the years. 

Before we jump to conclusions about others, it helps to recall the hurt we have experienced in the past when we were wrongly judged.  It helps us to avoid looking at people through a negative filter that gives us a distorted point of view.

It’s when we see others as Jesus sees them-as God’s children-that we begin to offer love, grace, and mercy rather than judgment. Just because we don't agree with someone doesn't mean that we cannot get along with them...

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you...For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." -Jesus Christ, Luke 6:37

I recently attended our annual company meeting where several of my co-workers received honors for achievements in sales. I found myself quietly comparing and contrasting my efforts with those of my counterparts.  In this competitive world we live in, it’s too easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. 

Jesus' words from the Gospel of Luke warn us against judging and evaluating others, as it's just simply not our role.  We are destined for misery if we are always comparing ourselves with other people. 

The broken world that we live in almost turns everything into a competition of sorts.  "We may fight, but our marriage is better than..."  "Our child beat their child out for a starting spot on the team.." And so on, and so on.

We must be careful of where we seek affirmation, especially making evaluations of other people.  Our loving Father sees each one of us a unique creation; fearfully and wonderfully made.  Be open and receptive to the only affirmation that matters; our Creator and awesome God!

Show Don't Tell

Let us stop passing judgement on one another.  Romans 14:13


The day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday", as it's commonly known in America, is a day that retailers open the doors to their stores ultra early and offer sales and special deals to kick off the Christmas sales season.  This year, most retailers already opened at 12:01 AM, and throngs of people have flocked to be the first in line to find great deals on generic Blu-Ray players and knock-off brand name HDTVs.  


I made the mistake of wandering into a big name retailer early one morning a few years ago on Black Friday and it was  like running with the bulls in Spain.  People were lined up in every aisle of the store and when the sales associates let everyone run wild, it was nothing short of mass chaos.  People were fighting each other for DVD player and hand held video game consoles and, quite honestly, I have never seen such rude behavior while shopping in all of my lifetime.


I chose the above passage for today with the hopes that if you happen to find yourself doing some Christmas shopping today you will consider focusing on the gifts and graces of other people rather than finding their faults.  Sure, you may get cut off by someone in the parking lot or someone just may snatch an item you have waited up all night for, but as believers, we are called to extend the same grace and mercy we have been given by our loving Father.


It's a difficult task, but it can actually be fun.  Try spending Black Friday thinking nothing but good thoughts about other people.  Where you normally feel offended, bless them.  If they curse you, bless them.  Where you normally feel offend, determine to be free of any hostility whatsoever. 


Your blindness to others faults will make the world seem a little brighter today!