Fighting the Urge to Judge Others
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Motherhood has made it very clear to me just how very hard it is to lay down my rights. When someone offends me, I have to take a deep breath and be still while I let the Lord calm me down and right my wrong train of thought. But when someone hurts my kids, it’s nearly impossible for me not to see red. I can only imagine how our Father in Heaven feels when injustice befalls His children – us. I’m not fit to cast judgment on kids who hurt mine. I obediently have to make the choice to see them, not as the one who wounded my child, but as a child of God, as am I.
Jesus is the light which brings clarity. John 8:12 reads:
When we fix our eyes on Jesus, Author and Perfecter of our faith, we are following the Light. Light illuminates, protecting from the shroud of darkness and the fear of the unknown – another type of darkness. Scriptures tells us often not to be afraid or worry. The burden of judgment is not ours to carry. Jesus took it to the cross, and we’re to leave it there from the moment we collapse at the foot of it in submission to Him for salvation. Salvation is freedom, in Christ, to come to the Father for forgiveness when we deserve judgement for sin.
We are pretty good at loving ourselves. Selfishness and pride are sins we all have to deal with in this life. Unfortunately, we aren’t naturally wired to love our enemies and our neighbors as we love ourselves. Because of sin, we come into the world focused on ourselves. When infants are born, they cannot see very far past themselves yet! It’s the same way with baby faith. We can’t see past ourselves. Self-focus leads to dissatisfaction, because we were meant to serve. Our lives are meant to bring glory to God, not to ourselves or to other people. When we look beyond ourselves through the perspective of Christ Jesus, the world as He sees it comes into focus. We see people differently when we follow Jesus.
Obedience to God’s law flows from the love we find in Him through Christ Jesus. It’s His love which allows us the capacity and understanding to love our neighbors. Neighbors meaning, everybody.
It’s insanely difficult to react obediently in line with the way Scripture tells us to love others when we or someone we love is hurt. Loving everybody all of the time is really hard work. Thankfully, we don’t have to do it alone. Everyone else is in God’s hands, not ours. We simply have to keep our eyes on Him, and love the best way we can. With all of our hearts, we get up each day and try our best to lay down our right to judge, and pick up the ability to forgive because we are forgiven. And that’s the kind of life which brings glory to God.
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Clarity Is Found in Christ Alone
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