Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)
From a very early age, we learn that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I know that I try to be careful of being judgmental, but sometimes it happens when I am least expecting it to.
Just today, I was reminded of someone I have been trying to contact for weeks. I’ve sent texts, made phone calls and more. I know that my messages have been received, but there has been no response.
At first, I was patient and shrugged it off. After a couple of weeks, I concluded that this person had no interest in talking to me. I racked my brain trying to figure if I had done something to warrant this, and every time I came up short.
After about five weeks I finally decided that this person was avoiding me. To my surprise, I then received a most pleasant message of apology. I had no idea that there was a personal issue weighing heavily on my friend. Between my pity party and judgmental attitude, I did not consider that it really had nothing to do with me.
Once again, I was reminded that what we see on the surface can be deceiving. I was also reminded that I am capable of jumping to wrong conclusions. Thank God that the timing was perfect. When I did connect with my friend, I was able to provide some encouraging words to lighten the burden. The golden rule is always good to follow: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I would not want anyone to pass judgment on me for what might appear bad behavior without first seeking to understand the reason.
When I remembered how judgmental I had been, I immediately prayed and asked God to forgive me for drawing the wrong conclusions. Are there people you have written off, thinking that their behavior could only be interpreted one way? Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would want someone to think of you.
One of the reasons I love the scriptures is because it keeps us honest with ourselves. It also shows us how much we need to depend on God’s direction to keep our thoughts on treating others as we would want them to treat us.
Pray and ask God to help you overcome the tendency to jump to speedy conclusions that could cause you to stumble and possibly hurt someone else. Remain open so that God can use you to help build others up and be ready to have your heart changed. Lesson learned.
God bless you!
