Don't Judge, Just Love

Today is a special day for Jay and me. Two years ago I walked into a California Pizza Kitchen for a blind date set up by my long time dental hygenist (whose name happens to be Destiny!), never expecting I would finally learn what love truly is. Within the first 15 minutes, I was upfront with Jay about my past. I figured, if he didn't like who I was, it would be a nice lunch and we would go our separate ways. Jesus had other plans. Jay is one of the most nonjudgemental people I know. He looked at me with the eyes of Christ, not with worldly eyes. So, to the man of my dreams and huge gift from Jesus Christ the Returning King, I love you, Jay Crandall, to infinity and beyond (you know I had to throw in a little Buzz!)!!! 

Photo by Taylor Lewis Photography

In todays Gospel (Matthew 7:1-5), Jesus asks us to look within before we judge others:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’
while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Serving in Clarity, she is spot on . . . examine our own behavior first:

"It is distressing to witness a spirit of pride and arrogance. We must always look for personal outrage as a marker for pride in ourselves. By this I do not refer to the outrage one feels regarding injustice done to others. This is appropriate. By this, the marker for pride, I refer to personal outrage associated with being treated less respectfully than we would like or being judged in a way that is less positive than we feel we deserve or desire. To clarify, we can go, as usual, to the Lord’s example. When people lied about Jesus personally or mistreated Him, He let it go, as in the Garden. He did not puff up and sputter in outrage. He was very consistent in behaving like a lamb. But when people planned to stone an adulteress, He stopped them. He exhibited a sense of outrage, turning the situation on its head and using it to promote non-judgmental treatment of others. Also, when He witnessed His Father’s house being used as a market place, He exhibited outrage, even reacting with just anger. Jesus quietly accepted personal insults and slights to Himself. He did not accept cruel behavior against people or blasphemous behavior against His Father. There are those who will say that to behave in obedience is to offer up our free will. This is true. This is what we are striving for, to offer up our free will to the Lord. It is only when we give up trying to be masters that we can become servants. We will not enter heaven with our hands on our hips, telling everyone else, least of all Christ, where they are getting it wrong." 

Lay apostles, lets all vow to leave the judging up to Jesus today. If we judge another, we will be judged by the same standards. I, for one, am far from perfect. I am a sinner. There is not one human being on this earth who has not sinned. Jesus knows us, and He knows EVERYTHING. So, before you become angry with the rude waitress, try to show her the Light of Christ by thanking her for serving you. Don't judge, just love.

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to leave any judgment up to You! Please continue to remind me, when I start stumbling in that direction, You have it all under control!

God bless,
Bonnie