Don’t You Judge Me!
Café Menu for Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Today’s Special is: Living at Peace with Everyone
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Dr. Trudy Simmons
Main Ingredient:
Judge not, that you be not judged.
– Matthew 7:1 NKJV
Entrée:
I remember watching an episode of the sitcom, My Name is Earl, in which the character Joy Turner said throughout the episode, “Don’t you judge me!” That one line seemed to sum up many days that I have had in the past. It seems like we are always being judged by others and sometimes we even judge ourselves. I am not sure which is worse.
I was wrongly judged a few weeks ago by someone that I considered a friend. My first reaction was to defend myself. I tried as hard as I could to make her see that her judgment call was way off base. Unfortunately, this only made matters worse. My second reaction was “Lord, why me?” This wrong judgment call against me not only hurt me, but it hurt my family. I had to ask, “Why would the Lord allow this?” I tried and tried to reason with myself, with God, with others, but I was given no peace over this unfair judgment. I was at the end of myself. And guess what? It turns out that is right where the Lord wanted me. In my pain and desperation, He wanted me to come to Him completely. Therefore, the question I should have asked was not “Lord, why me?”, but instead, “Why not me?” Through this uncomfortable situation, I needed to ask the Lord what He wanted me to learn.
Through it, I learned a few things. First, I learned that I am a people pleaser and that I crave the praise of everyone. I want everyone to embrace me and accept me. I learned that I was looking in the wrong place for who I am. I also learned that God alone is the great Judge! He is my Redeemer. I am not called to judge or defend. I am called to live at peace with everyone as best as it depends on me. If someone chooses to make an unfair judgment call, I need to check my heart first, and take it to the Lord second. I am not to get into a judgment battle over the wrong that has been done to me, for the battle belongs to the Lord. This is a hard road to walk out in the flesh! But by God’s grace, we can walk free from the judgment of everyone.
Take Out:
When you have been judged unfairly, first take it to the Lord! Check your heart and your motive and as Romans 12:18 NIV says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Remember if we judge, we ourselves will be judged.
Dessert:
Lord, create in me a clean heart toward myself and to others. When I fall into the temptation to judge, teach me to bring my judgmental heart to the cross!
© 2014 by Dr. Trudy Simmons. All rights reserved.
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