judgement

what is it within ourselves that causes us to judge one another? is it jealousy? insecurity? or just our sinful nature? i see it more with women and i'm constantly amazed by it's cutting nature, but lately, it just pisses me off. in the past week, i have see this happen 3 times now. this judgement on folks is just silly. why do we constantly look to others in judgement?

in matthew 7: 1-5 it says

"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.

i'm not immune to this. i judge and each time i feel the ping of failure. and although i don't spread rumors or gossip, i listen to it. and lately, when i see mothers and fathers, i inwardly judge them. i wonder why they deserve to have children when our child was taken from us. i have to admit this. but i also have to say that we, as women, don't need to do it. it's not necessary. it doesn't create unity or understanding and it doesn't show Christ's love to others, which, isn't this what we're suppose to do? aren't we suppose to imitate Christ?

as paul says in 1 corinthians 11:1

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

can you picture Jesus complaining to peter about judas? or about some leper He just healed? do you think Jesus would talk badly about how someone looked? about how they live? or the choices they made? do you think Jesus looked down at all us sinners as He hung on that cross and thought 'I don't deserve this!'

since Jorai has passed. i see this world differently. i see the good in it. i see the possibility. i see the way we treat one another and it frustrates me. it angers me. don't we all have logs in our eyes? why do we continue to point out the specks in others eyes when we ignore our logs?

i think it's time to start meeting people where they are. let go of our anger, frustration, insecurities..whatever causes us to judge. let it all go and love one another exactly where they're at. show Christ instead of darkness. maybe if we start showing each other Christ and stop knocking each other down, we'll find common ground. maybe we'll even find the love that's been hidden behind the wall that they built up to protect themselves. maybe we'll find a friend that we never expected to find.

next time you find yourself judging some one. take a breath and ask yourself why. and while your at it...go look in the mirror.

i love all of you. i hope you know it.