Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.- Rom 14:4, New International Version
I want to try and keep this short tonight , because what I have to say is really all too simple.
It's just that it's happened again, like so many times before.
I judged.
I was thinking about somebody and going through what amounts to a checklist in my mind. You know the ones - where a company places their product in a table or chart with a couple of competitors and then lists features that their product has (and the others don't typically have). And then each feature is checked off with regards to which product has that feature. And of course - at least if the company has any kind of marketing savvy at all - their products will show many more features checked off and the consumer will think, "surely this is the best product on the face of the earth... I''ll take 10!"
That's what I do, you know. I make checklists. In my head. I see how I measure up against other people. And you know how it goes.... I have to list the features so I come out on top. I want to be the best on the face of the earth. Or at least I want other people to believe that. maybe that gets me past more of my own rejection.
I did it a couple of times in the past day or two, just casually, you know. But when I had my table filled out, I was finding myself wanting to fix the other people on the list. I thought things like, "if _____ would just be able to see _____ the way I do, he could really get out of his situation". And the I made too big of a leap. I started to ask God how He could give me the chance to impart my wisdom about _____ to my brother. And before it started, the conversation was brought to an abrupt halt.
By God.
He immediately revealed to my heart how prideful and condescending that attitude was, and then, to make matters worse, how often I have gone there, either on one side (I'm better than my brother) or the other (my brother is better than me). And I'm being really vulnerable here, because as I write this I feel like such a jerk and wonder if there's anybody else out there that stumbles over this. Because it seems to find its way under my feet. A lot. Too often.
And, you know, it all progresses innocent enough. Just trying to understand what God's doing in me and others. But it can spiral downhill way too fast. And then, although it can still look legit, it certainly isn't innocent anymore! And it's not anything about what God's doing either!
So I humbly submit to you that I have blown this way too many times and that it stinks as sin to God, even as it is a very core sin. And I am guilty. And repentant. And forgiven. But I want to be so much more... aware.
Funny, up until not too long ago, I thought I was one of the least judgmental people I knew (that may have been a clue of an issue, by the way - cause there I was with my chart again even in that very thought!). Lately, the thing God has been showing me is how "underground" the root of judgment goes. I imagine it goes all the way back to the root of the tree of knowledge, if you get my point!
So how about you? Where do you judge and how do you do it? Who tends to get the brunt? Does it make you out to look good or bad? How has it affected your life? Or am I the only one for whom the "shoe fits"?
I think this last point is especially important. What affect is our judging having on each other and those around us? Could it be this is the giant obstacle to love we still have left to overcome?
If so, I'm ready to take it head-on, if not fully able. I want to get rid of all of the roots from of that tree, not just the ones that look really bad on the surface. I want to kill the tree of knowledge because it always comes back to kill me. I want to live in God's life. And judging is just never gonna get into that flow all the way.
So rather than compare ourselves, let's just recognize the subtleties of judging . Cause it is very much the way we live when we're living from our heads. And all that results in is death.
I suppose God is driving this home in me because of the call He's placing on me and this church to Love Truly. There's no room for judgment if we're going to experience all the fullness God intends.
But then, there's never any room for such things when we're talking about the room where Jesus lives... our hearts!
Live Courageous!
It's just that it's happened again, like so many times before.
I judged.
I was thinking about somebody and going through what amounts to a checklist in my mind. You know the ones - where a company places their product in a table or chart with a couple of competitors and then lists features that their product has (and the others don't typically have). And then each feature is checked off with regards to which product has that feature. And of course - at least if the company has any kind of marketing savvy at all - their products will show many more features checked off and the consumer will think, "surely this is the best product on the face of the earth... I''ll take 10!"
That's what I do, you know. I make checklists. In my head. I see how I measure up against other people. And you know how it goes.... I have to list the features so I come out on top. I want to be the best on the face of the earth. Or at least I want other people to believe that. maybe that gets me past more of my own rejection.
I did it a couple of times in the past day or two, just casually, you know. But when I had my table filled out, I was finding myself wanting to fix the other people on the list. I thought things like, "if _____ would just be able to see _____ the way I do, he could really get out of his situation". And the I made too big of a leap. I started to ask God how He could give me the chance to impart my wisdom about _____ to my brother. And before it started, the conversation was brought to an abrupt halt.
By God.
He immediately revealed to my heart how prideful and condescending that attitude was, and then, to make matters worse, how often I have gone there, either on one side (I'm better than my brother) or the other (my brother is better than me). And I'm being really vulnerable here, because as I write this I feel like such a jerk and wonder if there's anybody else out there that stumbles over this. Because it seems to find its way under my feet. A lot. Too often.
And, you know, it all progresses innocent enough. Just trying to understand what God's doing in me and others. But it can spiral downhill way too fast. And then, although it can still look legit, it certainly isn't innocent anymore! And it's not anything about what God's doing either!
So I humbly submit to you that I have blown this way too many times and that it stinks as sin to God, even as it is a very core sin. And I am guilty. And repentant. And forgiven. But I want to be so much more... aware.
Funny, up until not too long ago, I thought I was one of the least judgmental people I knew (that may have been a clue of an issue, by the way - cause there I was with my chart again even in that very thought!). Lately, the thing God has been showing me is how "underground" the root of judgment goes. I imagine it goes all the way back to the root of the tree of knowledge, if you get my point!
So how about you? Where do you judge and how do you do it? Who tends to get the brunt? Does it make you out to look good or bad? How has it affected your life? Or am I the only one for whom the "shoe fits"?
I think this last point is especially important. What affect is our judging having on each other and those around us? Could it be this is the giant obstacle to love we still have left to overcome?
If so, I'm ready to take it head-on, if not fully able. I want to get rid of all of the roots from of that tree, not just the ones that look really bad on the surface. I want to kill the tree of knowledge because it always comes back to kill me. I want to live in God's life. And judging is just never gonna get into that flow all the way.
So rather than compare ourselves, let's just recognize the subtleties of judging . Cause it is very much the way we live when we're living from our heads. And all that results in is death.
I suppose God is driving this home in me because of the call He's placing on me and this church to Love Truly. There's no room for judgment if we're going to experience all the fullness God intends.
But then, there's never any room for such things when we're talking about the room where Jesus lives... our hearts!
Live Courageous!
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