There's a great illustration from one of M. Lucado's books about loving, forgiving and judging:
Judging others is the quick and easy way to feel good about ourselves. Standing next to all the Mussolinis and Hitlers of the world, we boast: 'Look God, compared to them, I'm not so bad.'
But that isn't the problem. God doesn't compare us to them. They aren't the standard; God is. Suppose God simplified matters and reduced the Bible to one command: 'You must jump so high in the air that you touch the moon.' No need to love your neighbor or pray or follow Jesus; just jump and touch the moon and you'll be saved.
We'd never make it. There may be some who jump three or four feet; a few who jump five or six feet, but compared to the distance we have to go, no one gets very far. Though you may jump six inches higher than I do, it's scarcely reason to boast.
Judging others is the quick and easy way to feel good about ourselves. Standing next to all the Mussolinis and Hitlers of the world, we boast: 'Look God, compared to them, I'm not so bad.'
But that isn't the problem. God doesn't compare us to them. They aren't the standard; God is. Suppose God simplified matters and reduced the Bible to one command: 'You must jump so high in the air that you touch the moon.' No need to love your neighbor or pray or follow Jesus; just jump and touch the moon and you'll be saved.We'd never make it. There may be some who jump three or four feet; a few who jump five or six feet, but compared to the distance we have to go, no one gets very far. Though you may jump six inches higher than I do, it's scarcely reason to boast.
'Jesus calls us to another way, one that depends not on our performance but on His.'
Now, God hasn't called us to touch the moon, but He may as well have. He said, 'You must be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.' None of us can meet that standard. As a result, none of us deserves to don the robe and stand behind the bench and judge others.
The thought is almost comical. We who jump three feet look at the guy who jumps one inch and say, 'What a lousy jump.' Why do we engage in such accusation? As long as I'm focused on your weaknesses, I don't have to think of my own. As long as I'm looking at your puny jump, I don't have to be honest about my own. I'm like the man who went to the psychiatrist with a turtle on his head and a strip of bacon dangling from his ear and said, 'I'm here to talk to you about my brother.'
The world runs by ungrace. Everything depends on what I do - what I say - how I say it - what I don't do - what I don't say - how I don't say it. But Jesus calls us to another way, one that depends not on our performance but on His. He's already earned for us the costly gift of God's acceptance.
Forgive freely.
Accept graciously.
Love unconditionally.
And be blessed.
1 comment:
I've noticed that I am more loving and less judgmental, the closer I feel to Jesus. I find comfort in knowing that God knows everything about me and loves me anyway. It makes it easier to let others be who they are and let God judge them, not me.
The times that I wasn't going to church, rarely praying and purposely sinning, I was downright miserable. I wasn't loving or living the life God has for me. I was buried in a hole of my own making.
I know that there have been times when I judged someone else...probably more than I care to remember. I've just found that when I stop and try to put myself in the other persons shoes, then it is easier to be understanding. And it's easier to forgive, too. I'm very fortunate, I normally find it easy to forgive someone. I don't like the way I feel when I am angry and bitter. I am much happier when I can look forward, not behind.
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