You be the judge....or not.

Who wants to hear a story about a girl who got a stern talking to from God? Remember the blog where I said, “God does not bring condemnation, but He will bring conviction. He will correct you when you are in the wrong?” (I just added that last sentence, it transitions better into what I’m about to say.)

So I’m driving down the road, minding my own business, talkin’ smack about people in my head, (because there isn’t anyone in the car with me but my kids and that would just make me look crazy if I was talking out loud). Remember: the title of this blog is getting real with life….don’t act like you don’t talk smack about people! I’m just being honest with all of you, I want you to see that I am human too and I have things that I need to learn and grow through. Ok, driving along, thinking about how “great and perfect” my life is and how far from sin I am. Does anyone see the irony in this? Then all of a sudden God steps onto the scene. It’s like getting caught doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing…

I love how God will use almost anything to teach you something OR to humble you. I am not going to use names or details of situations to be respectful. I have a friend that is living a lifestyle that I don’t agree with, I have judged her mercilessly. I turned my back on her and left her without a good example of how to live a righteous life. I have turned her over to the enemy and said, “have your way with her, she deserves what she gets.” Has anyone done this before?  I stood here pointing my finger at her, screaming ‘GUILTY!’ and kicking her when she is down. God made it VERY clear to me that I was standing in HIS shoes as the judge, and that these shoes are too big for my feet and basically “get out of them.” He said that it’s my job to pray for her, and to be merciful. And I have a feeling that He wants me to reach out to her to let her know that I haven’t given up on her. Just because God has told me to pray for her, does not make the lifestyle ok, but my job is to be a light in her life. This is not the only time that I have taken it upon myself to play the role as the judge, but let me tell you something, I am MUCH more cautious about what I say about people out loud OR in my head. When we stand in Gods shoes we keep ourselves from being in the posture of mercy, compassion or forgiveness. We take on a prideful and arrogant position and condemn those we think are guilty, when that is not our job.

We are supposed to use Jesus as our example, let’s take a look at one example of mercy we are all familiar with. John 8:2-11 (my thoughts are in red)

   ² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. (Cleary guilty) They made her stand before the group ⁴  (to belittle and humiliate) and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

   But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

   ⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

   ¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

   “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Jesus, the only one that is perfect and could judge someone, didn’t. Go a couple verses down to John 8:15-16, “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. ¹⁶ But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.” 

Ummmm, ouch! I now have two ways of looking at things, when in doubt, stay on the side of humility and mercy…

¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2)

Here is an assignment for this week. When you catch yourself gossiping or thinking hatefully about someone, REPENT, and get out of Gods shoes. Simple challenge…be aware of your thoughts and words, God hears them all.