judging lately

Lately my envelope has been pushed. I've never considered myself a terribly judgmental person. Here and there, yes; but no more than anybody else... That was my thinking, anyway. Turns out that God decided to pull back my eyelids a bit to show me a few areas where I have been (mentally) pointing out people's specks.

[It's funny how you can hear something, believe something, and even preach that thing, and God can still show you where you are falling short in that area.  (Hence the subject of judgmentalism).]

I used to be irritated and upset about issues that were clearly against God's word. And perhaps rightly so - but I realized something I was missing: mercy. I could get all riled up, yell and scream, judge and convict, but that's never going to win anyone over to Christ. (Can you imagine Christ yelling at Zacchaeus about his cheating sins as a tax collector?  No, he went into the "sinner's" house to be his guest and Zacchaeus was saved.  Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.")   Instead my heart should be aching, desiring for them to see the truth, and most of all: praying.

Funny thing about Christians: we're all hypocrites. It's been quite difficult to keep up the whole "perfect person" attitude  when compared to Jesus!  Every time my daughter laments about how awful she feels for some stinky behavior, I tell her how I still make bad choices all the time (children are such good reminders of just how imperfect we are).

I know Jesus came to heal those who were broken.  He hung out with those who were dirty, "below" everyone else. Those of little or no value to the rest of the world.  So who does that translate to in my life today? I could tell you, but that would reveal too much of my judgmentalism. So the question is, who does this translate to in your life?

A song hit me today that brought this whole thought process around into a full circle for me. It's called, "Jesus, Friend of Sinners" by Casting Crowns. I copied these lyrics from the internet so forgive me if there is some mistakes (and no punctuation!):

Jesus Friend of sinners we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to
swing
Jesus friend of sinners the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours

Yeah,yeah,yeah

Jesus friend of sinners the one who's writing in the sand
Make the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of thieves
Let the memory of Your mercy bring your people to their knees

Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we
judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and love like
You did
Oh Jesus friend of sinners

Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me a grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, You are good And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
Oh Jesus friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

(If you'd like to hear/see this song, you can find it here).

And to finish it off for me (well, not really because God NEVER stops teaching me new stuff, even when I think I know it all), I was looking for the story of Zacchaeus and the first page I came to in Luke was this: Luke 6: 37-43. "Do not judge, and  you will not be judged.  Do not condemn and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."  (And there's more - it goes on to talk about the afore-mentioned speck and the plank).

So where to go from here?  Living a life being non-judgmental seems nearly impossible! But I'll tell you what: if you don't judge me for not keeping my truck washed or for not getting my daughter's hair brushed in the morning, I won't judge you for wearing socks with your sandals or for still wearing sweatpants when you drop your kids off at school in the morning.

K

(And just a little p.s. - my intention in discussing judgment is not to imply that we should not make judgments for ourselves and our children according to the Word of God.  It is simply to state that we should be displaying mercy to the sinners around us, who, in all actuality, are just like the rest of us sinners.)